Posted by: John_Hamilton on 02/20/2012 12:38 PM
Updated by: John_Hamilton on 02/20/2012 12:40 PM
Expires: 01/01/2017 12:00 AM
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Ovations 2012 Performing Arts Series Mimi Blais, Queen of Ragtime
Angels Camp, CA...Queen of Ragtime performs for Ovations Series on February 26, 2012. Royalty is coming to the Bret Harte High School Theater on February 26. The Calaveras Arts Council brings to the foothills the Queen of Ragtime, Mimi Blais. This gifted pianist, generous to a fault, causes laughter and tears. Her music speaks to the audience, caresses, tickles, charms, dazzles, and surprises….it touches the soul. Her amazing, high energy, theatrical, and comedic performance begins at 3pm. Theater doors open at 2:30pm....
Mimi Blais is a musical performer, composer, arranger, writer, comedian and singer whose imagination knows no bounds. Mimi often uses costumes to present or invent characters, making her piano concerts more visual and animated. Sometimes, when she steps out on stage, the audience may not even be sure that it’s actually her.
A Quebec native, now living in Montreal, Canada, she studied music at Quebec City Conservatory of Music and earned her university degree at McGill University where she studied classical piano. She left traditional classical piano to discover Music with a capital “M”. Her career has been guided by passion and whim where classical, folk, jazz, modern, blues, tango, and ragtime all blend together. She has received several nicknames during her career: The female Victor Borge, The Céline Dion of the keyboard, The French Canadian Liberacette… but the one she most favors is the Queen of Ragtime. She loves playing, explaining and showing people why ragtime is so important in the history of American Music, “Ragtime is the trunk of the tree”.
She has recorded over ten albums of piano music by varied composers, including Scott Joplin, Tom Turpin, Eubie Blake, Zez Confrey, Jean-Baptiste Lafrenière, George Gershwin, Dave Brubeck. She has written two one-woman shows where she reveals her many-faceted talents: Once upon a time, ragtime, which shows the importance of ragtime music in the evolution of the American culture, and An afternoon with Jean-Baptiste Lafrenière.
Whatever the style of music she chooses to play; she receives unanimous praise from the public and the media in Canada, United States, and in Europe.
Adult tickets for are $25 each and youth 17/younger are $10. Tickets are available online at www.calaverasarts.org or by calling 754-1774.
The final concert of the season will be Sunday March 11, with Ives Quartet with guest Pianist, Yoshikaza Nagai. Call 209-754-1774 for tickets or more information.
For or more information about Calaveras Arts Council events check out their website, www.calaverasarts.org.
The Calaveras Arts Council is honored to bring to and expand art awareness and appreciation in Calaveras County. Its mission is to support, nourish, and awaken the arts in the community.
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