The Casino also hired her to play in their cabaret during the summers from 2002 to 2005. She played with Quartango in 1997 before returning to the Casino with Le dîner farfelu. She went on to star in the first show at the Montréal Casino's Cabaret as pianist-actress in Guy Caron's Le dîner farfelu (1996–97). In 1994, she starred as a bordello pianist in Michel Garneau's Héliotropes at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert. The next year in Maskinongé, Québec marked the premiere of her second major show, Soirée des années folles, which she wrote, produced, directed and accompanied. The change was cemented with the release of her first CD, Ragtime (1992), produced on a grant from the JMC.

In January 1990, Mimi Blais's career took an important turn towards ragtime when she played an all-rag concert at Place des Arts in Montréal. The sisters toured the work in Ontario and Québec schools (1990–94) and played at the National Arts Centre (1991) and Roy Thomson Hall (1993). She also adapted Pierre Vellones's 1930 piano work, Au jardin des bêtes sauvages (1989), into a children's play with her sister, Hélène Blais. During this time she was accompanist to percussionist Marie-Josée Simard, and was part of Dynamic Duo with percussionist Sylvain Grenier.

Mimi Blais's professional career began with Jeunesses musicales of Canada (JMC) 1980–92. 1 and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, respectively. While studying towards her Bachelor in Music, Licentiate and Concert Diploma, she was a soloist with the McGill Symphony Orchestra and the McGill Wind Symphony in Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.

She further refined her playing at McGill University from 1978 to 1984 under Dorothy Morton and Louis-Philippe Pelletier, and in master classes with Kendall Taylor and Menahem Pressler. At 14, she entered the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, where she studied piano with Nadia Strycek and Christiane Sénart (1970–77). Education and Early Careerīlais began piano lessons at age seven with Rita-Sonia Audibert in Québec City. Classically trained and equally at home with folk, jazz, blues and tango, she has performed solo, as accompanist, and as a featured performer in many cabaret shows. Mimi Blais is a pianist, composer, comedienne and arranger known internationally for her specialization in ragtime music.

Rita 'Mimi' Blais, pianist, composer, actress (born 22 March 1956 in Sillery, QC ).

Black cat rag player piano