Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Banditti (see 28 Nov. 1781). Text in his Dramatic Works, Vol. 1 (T. Woodfall, 1798)]: With new Scenes [by Carver (O'Keeffe, u, 38)], Dresses, and a new Overture. The Selected Airs by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Giardini, Bertoni, Dr Arne, and Carolan, the Irish Bard. The Overture and New Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [This was Sga Sestini's 1st appearance on the English-speaking stage. For several preceding seasons she had been a member of the Italian opera company performing at the King's.] "Sestini . . . was handsome, sprightly, and a good actress, if great exuberance of gesticulation, activity of motion, and affected Italian smorfie could make her one; but her voice was gritty and sharp (something like singing through a comb), and she was nothing of a singer, except for lively comic airs. Yet she was . . . long a favourite with the mass of the public, though not with the connoisseurs" (Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 33). Account-Book, 30 June 1783: Paid O'Keeffe in full for The Castle of Andalusia #368 18s. 6d. Receipts: #166 2s. 6d. (165/9/0; 0/13/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Sestini. Tickets to be had of Sga Sestini, No. 8, Great Suffolk-street, Charing-cross

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Allegranri. Opera [1st time; com 2, author unknown] : The Music entirely new by Anfossi. Tickets to be had of Sga Allegranri, No. 232, Piccadilly

Event Comment: Benefit for Fishar (ballet master) and Sga Manesiere. The Opera of Lionel and Clarissa being oblig'd to be changed to the Comedy of The Wonder, Fishar and Sga Manesiere hope those Ladies and Gentlemen who have taken places for the opera, will honour them with their commands for the above play. Charges #64 5s. Balance to Fishar and Sga Manesiere #33 19s. plus tickets income: Fishar #46 9s. (Box 67; Pit 114; Gallery 126); Sga Manesiere #28 18s. (Box 69; Pit 45; Gallery 49). Receipts: #98 4s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Todi. Opera: The Music by Piccinni. Tickets to be had of Sga Todi, No. 12, Haymarket

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera; the music by Paisiello. Under the direction of Storace. [Sga Storace was from the Opera, Vienna.] Morelli "was an actor such as the Italian stage has seldom witnessed. He was, I used to think, in his prime, quite upon a par with King of Drury Lane Theatre. Like him, he was distinguished for neat articulation, and an unremitting attention to the business of the whole stage" (Boaden, Kemble, I, 449). Receipts: #165 19s. 6d. [non-subscription]

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Sestini. Opera: Not acted these 3 years [acted 26 June 1788]. A Comic Opera; the Music by Paisiello. Under the direction of Federici. Tickets, 10s. 6d. each, to be had of Sga Sestini, No. 17, Mount-street, Berkley-square

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Morichelli. Tickets to be had of Sga Morichelli, No. 127, Pall Mall. Opera: A Comic Opera [reduced to 2 acts]; the music by Paisiello, under the direction of Federici

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Passerini at the Great Room, Dean Street, Soho. N.B. The Pastoral will precede the Oratorio. The Pastoral, by Desire. The overture and greatest part of which composed by his Majesty the King of Prussia. Mainpiece by Handel. Tickets for the 29th will be taken. Tickets at half a guinea for the Pit, and 5s. for the Gallery. To begin at 6:30 p.m. [The Pastoral is not named in the Bill, but from comment on its musical composer is deemed to be Charlottenburg Festegiante. See 16 March.

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Storace. A new Comic Opera, as originally performed at the Courts of Petersburgh and Vienna; the Music by Paisiello. Tickets to be had of Sga Storace, No. 23, Howland-street, Rathbone-place

Event Comment: A new Serious Opera in 2 acts [1st rime; author unknown]; the music by several eminent composers, under the direction of Bertoni. Books of the Opera [which are entitled Giunio Bruto], with an account of the new Dance, to be had at the Theatre. [Sga Macchierini was from the Opera, Cremona.] Public Advertiser, 14 Jan.: Pacchierotti sang "in a Stile the most superior--superior to any Singer heard in this country since Farinelli--superior to Pacchierotti himself!"

Event Comment: [The playbill retains Sga Pollone, but she did not sing. Public Advertiser, 27 Jan.: The Indisposition of Sga Pollone prevented the performance of Il Convito [originally announced for performance on this present night]. For Sga Salpietro, see 13 Feb.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Sestini. A Comic Opera, not acted these 7 years [acted 28 Apr. 1785]; the Music by Piccinni, under the direction of Mazzinghi. Tickets, 10s. 6d., to be had of Sga Sestini, No. 15, Mount-street, Berkeley-square

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Storace. Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Prince Hoare]: The Musick by Storace. Morning Herald, 27 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Sga Storace, No. 36, Howland-street, Rathbone-place. Account-Book, 4 July: Paid Hoare for Prize #210. ["Sga Storace's person (is) clumsy; her face coarse and ordinary; and yet there is so much enchanting vivacity...that she always delights whenever she appears" (Candid Strictures, 41).] Receipts: #388 12s. 6d. (196.11.6; 38.5.0; 3.10.0; tickets: 150.6.0) (charge: #157 1s. 3d.)

Event Comment: p Comic Opera; the music by Paisiello. 2nd ballet: Originally composed by D'Auberval, and brought out with new Episodes and Dances by D'Egville [with music by Bossi], The Doors to be opened at 6:15. To begin at 7:15 [same throughout opera season]. Single tickets for the night, for pit or gallery, to be had at the office of the Theatre. [Sga Bolla was from the opera, Milan. Sga Clara's name is not in the playbill, but "The second comic opera singer, Sga Clara, was also new...There is much sweetness and delicacy in her voice, and perhaps it may be owing to her evident timidity that it did not seem to possess strength and compass in proportion" (Monthly Visitor, Jan. 1800, p. 71). Deshayes was from the Opera, Madrid.

Event Comment: With Alterations. Benefit Sga Pirker who lives at the Golden Ball in Panton St

Event Comment: Benefit for Fishar (Ballet Master) and Sga Manesiere. Charges #64 10s. Profit to each beneficiary #26 7s. 3d., plus income from tickets: Fishar #55 13s. (Box 115; Pit 112; Gallery 106); Sga Manesiere, #34 7s. (Box 59; Pit 74; Gallery 85) (Account Book). Receipts: #117 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fishar (ballet master) and Sga Manesiere. [The Lady identified as Mrs Sage by Kemble note on playbill.] Charges #65 10s. 6d. Profit to each beneficiary #18 6s. 3d., plus income from tickets: Fishar #61 14s. (Box 104; Pit 150; Gallery 132); Sga Manesiere, #66 12s. (Box 125; Pit 179; Gallery 85) (Account Book). Receipts: #002 3s

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Sestini. Public Advertiser, 13 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Sga Sestini, No. 52, Margaret-street, Cavendish Square. Afterpiece [1st time; burl 2, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 616; not published]: Taken from the Italian of La Serva Padrona [by Gennaro Antonio Federico]. The Music chiefly the Original of Parosasi [i.e. Pergolesi, and so spelled on playbill of 17 Feb.]. The new Music composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #256 5s. 6d. (198/12/0; 7/3/6; tickets: 50/10/0) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Ferrarese del Bene. A Serious Opera [1st time; SER 2, by Pietro Giovannini]; the Music entirely new by Cherubini. Tickets, 10s. 6d. each, to be had of Sga Ferrarese del Bene, No. 232, Piccadilly

Event Comment: A Serious Opera; the music by Tarchi. Mme Mara being indisposed, the new serious Opera, L'Amore Protetto dal Cielo; o sia, La Vestale, is unavoidably postponed; and Sga Benini will appear this evening for the first time in the character of Virginia. Receipts: #104 0s. 6d. [non-subscription]

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb. Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin [1790]. Sga Storace had 1st appeared in concerts from 1774 to 1778, and at king's on 24 Apr. 1787 and thereafter]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The new Music composed by Storace, the rest compiled from Linley? Sen., Purcell, Sarti, Paisiello, Martin y Soler?, Pleyel, &c. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "In her own particular line on the stage [Sga Storace] was unrivalled, being an excellent actress, as well as a masterly singer. She settled entirely in England, and after quitting the opera (to which she was frequently recalled in times of distress, as was too often the case), she engaged at Drury Lane, where the English opera was raised to an excellence not known before, by her singing, with that of Mrs Crouch, Mrs Bland, Kelly, and Bannister, and under the direction of her brother Stephen Storace, who composed, or rather compiled, several very pretty operas, of which the Haunted Tower, and the Siege of Belgrade still remain favorites, and are frequently performed" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 65). Account-Book, 4 Jan. 1790: Paid Cobb on Acct. of the Purchase of the Copyright of the Haunted Tower #157 10s.; 27 Feb. 1790: Paid Cobb in full for Copyright #52 10s. Receipts: #219 9s. 6d. (200.13.0; 17.14.6; 1.2.0)

Event Comment: [The playbill retains Sga Calvesi, but Morning Post, 14 Apr., prints a letter from her dated 13 Apr., stating that "she returns her most grateful thanks to the Subscribers and the Public for their indulgence in dispensing with her performance yesterday evening. She was one of the many unfortunate performers who were left unpaid in the year of 1783 by Mr Taylor. Deprived of resources, she naturally contracted debts, for one of which (yesterday evening going to obey her duty to the Public) she was arrested, and so expeditiously and secretly hurried away as to deprive her of the assistance of the Manager or her Friends to liberate her 'till an hour too late for Performance." The name of the singer who took her place is not known.

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Sestini. Tickets to be had of Sga Sestini at No. 17, Mount-street, Berkely-square. Tickets delivered for the 19th inst. will be admitted