Rock opera, the tradition that has thrived since its early days of the Who's Tommy and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar, now embraces another likely figure: Genghis Khan.
The show blends multi-tone throat singing with heavy metal, as young Mongolian musicians and dancers stage the first rock opera to celebrate the life of Khan. It is timed to commemorate Mongolia's 800th birthday.
In the thirteenth century, Khan united the nomadic tribes of Mongolia and began to create what became an empire stretching from China to Eastern Europe.
The opera premieres in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar on May 8.
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