An instant sensation at its premiere in Venice in 1709 Agrippina established the young Handels reputation as a theatrical genius Its tuneful score abundant humor and classic Roman intrigue make for a delightful evening at the opera The cast for Ars Lyricas production of this early masterpiece includes Sofia Selowsky Agrippina John Holiday Nero Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen Ottone Camille Ortiz Poppea Timothy Jones Claudio Tara Faircloth stage director Matthew Dirst conductor