John Davidson and Stephanie Mills are expected to join the final weeks of Ragtime in Chicago, scheduled to end its long run June 13 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre.

The infusion of Mills, who will play Sarah, and Davidson, who will play Father, is expected to stimulate box office for the finale of the 32-week Chicago sitdown of the Terrence McNally-Lynn Ahrens-Stephen Flaherty musical. An official casting announcement is expected April 20-21. The Chicago company was recently informed of the cast change.

Mills, known as the diminutive but big-voiced Dorothy in Broadway's The Wiz, and Davidson, who played the father in Broadway's State Fair in 1996-97, are expected to join the company in early May. The "final block" of tickets on sale now go to June 13.

The Chicago production of Ragtime, the Tony Award-winning musical, opened Nov. 8, 1998, at the newly-restored Oriental Theatre, the lush 1926 movie palace in the heart of the downtown North Loop.The next engagement there is Livent's Fosse, beginning performances Sept. 14. Fosse will tour after its limited run at the Ford Center in Chicago.

For Chicago Ragtime ticket information call (312) 902-1400. *

The Chicago Ragtime production will not tour; it ends in Chicago. Bill Conner of Livent told Playbill On-Line in February that elements of the Chicago set and certain Chicago cast members will likely be used for the Pace "hybrid" tour beginning August 1999 in Houston.

The new tour, licensed to Pace Theatrical Group, will also use elements of the current third national company that's did smash business at Boston's Colonial Theatre through January-March 1999.