Kanye West announced a biblical-themed opera

Kanye West has announced the upcoming debut of his first opera on Twitter, following yesterday's Sunday Service in Houston, Lakewood Church and the Harris County Jail. The title will be "Nabuchadnezzar" a biblical king from the Book of Daniel, it will be directed by the Italian artist Vanessa Beecroft, the music will be provided by the Collective of the Sunday Service. The opera will debut at the Hollywood Bowl on November 24th.

During the interview with Zane Lowe on October 24th, on the occasion of the release of Jesus Is King, Kanye had cited the biblical king as an example of a powerful king who, despite his mental illness, had managed to find his faith.

"Nabucodonosor was diagnosed with bipolar disorder... and he was still a king!"

The biblical king's character is one of the most famous in the Old Testament: he destroyed the Temple of Solomon and deported the Hebrews to Babylon. In the Book of Daniel, the king slowly begins to believe in God after a series of dreams and miracles and is finally "cursed" with madness for seven years and healing only after surrendering before the power of God. It's clear that Kanye West chose this character because of the obvious parallels with himself, with his journey from arrogance to newfound faith, through mental illness.

Tickets for the "Nabuchadnezzar" will go on sale today at noon, as announced by the Hollywood Bowl yesterday on Twitter.