Ragtime, the new musical by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Terrence McNally, is now in previews for its Dec. 8 world premiere at Toronto's Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

The adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's classic novel stars Mark Jacoby (Show Boat) as Father, Marin Mazzie (Passion) as Mother, Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss of the Spider Woman) as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Audra McDonald (Carousel and Master Class) as Sarah, Steven Sutcliffe as Mother's Younger Brother, and Peter Friedman as Tateh.

The production is directed by Tony-Award winning Frank Galati and produced by theatre mogul Garth Drabinsky, and also features Jim Corti as Harry Houdini, Lynette Perry as Evelyn Nesbitt, Richard Allen as Booker T. Washington, Larry Daggett as Henry Ford, Camille Saviola as Emma Goldman and Vanessa Townsell-Crisp as Sarah's Friend.

Several of the roles are performed by different actors on the recently-released recording of the score.

Tickets for the Toronto production are now on sale at (416) 872-2222. The show is tentatively scheduled to open on Broadway in December 1997 or January 1998 at the new theatre being created on 42nd Street by combining the old Lyric and Apollo theatres.