On Saturday night, November 18, 1916, the musical comedy "Katinka" was presented at the Sandusky Theatre, at the southwest corner of Jackson and Water Streets in Sandusky, Ohio. The operetta was composed by Otto Hauerbach and Rudolf Friml. The producer was Arthur Hammerstein."Katinka" had made its Broadway premiere on December 23, 1915 at the 44th Street Theatre. When the show appeared in Sandusky, the Sandusky Theatre was almost completely filled. An article in the November 20, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that, "The company was excellent, the music tuneful, the costumes beautiful, the stage settings gorgeous, and the lighting effects artistic." The comedy was said to have been delightful. Alice Ryan played Katinka, and Burton Lenihan played Ivan. Two pages of photographs of the cast are found in the center of the program.
The play is centered on a young woman stuck in a loveless marriage in Russia, but the Katinka is really in love with Ivan. As the plot moves along, there are scenes from Russia, Turkey and Austria.
The number "Rackety Coo" was one of the play's most popular songs. While I do not know if any of my Sandusky area ancestors were able to attend this performance, I was delighted when a local collector allowed me to browse through this lovely vintage program. The full text of the vocal score of "Katinka" may be viewed online at the Internet Archive.
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