Alice Cooper and Criss Angel sharing a stage at Planet Hollywood. We could almost just leave it at that. Or we could direct you to the show’s trailer. But honestly, we had questions. Could a 78-year-old Alice Cooper get around the stage? What about his voice? And how does Criss Angel fit in? First things first, we don’t have images of the show because phones are strictly prohibited and you have to bag them as you enter. Check out the trailer above before reading from here and you’ll get a mind’s eye feel for what’s described.
We’ll start by saying we loved it. The meshing of the two makes sense and works well. Both have made careers out of forging dark personas, so why wouldn’t they work in tandem? There’s supposed to be a theme throughout that Criss Angel is Alice Cooper in his youth. In fact, they come right out and say it at one point—Criss pointing at Alice says, “I don’t think I like what I see”—but it’s not important. We don’t need a story. The spectacle of two masters doing their thing is enough.
Alice
The questions about Alice’s mobility and voice were answered quickly. He gets around as necessary and he’s in excellent voice (there was proof of live vocals when he missed a lyric and laughed it off). It’s clear from the billing that he’s the main draw. After all, Alice Cooper has been a rock star for more than 50 years and you could see that in the vast age range of the audience. They came to hear his hits and he didn’t disappoint “I’m Eighteen,” “School’s Out,” “No More Mister Nice Guy,” “Only Women Bleed,” “Poison,” “Be My Lover,” “You and Me,” “Hey Stoopid,” “Bed of Nails,” “Feed My Frankenstein,” and of course, “Welcome to My Nightmare.” Lots of staging elements are in play throughout, with big screens tracking the action, giant fans, strolls through the audience, the biggest confetti drop we’ve ever seen, and the accompanying Criss Angel theatrics. Alice’s wife, Cheryl, performs. And there’s a badass live band of guitars and drums.
Criss
How would Criss fit in? We were surprised and impressed by his role, with the typically hard-edged Angel mostly playing the foil to Cooper. That required putting his ego aside, which doesn’t sound very Criss Angelish, but demonstrates a high level of professionalism and respect. Not to diminish his contribution. Angel also pulled out the big guns from his Mindfreak Live! show: walking down a ladder with his body parallel to the floor, levitation, lightning-fast switcheroos (“metamorphosis”), the guillotines, the razorblades, and the giant buzz saw, all choreographed to be complemented by whatever song Alice is singing. Criss even sings a bit and he’s A-OK.
The Encore
Did you notice a song missing in the list above? We did, and we knew what was coming in the encore. This isn’t a traditional concert, so the encore is manufactured as part of the show and it works just fine. That missing song? The 1973 hit that propelled Alice Cooper to fame, “Billion Dollar Babies” … the crowd goes wild!
The Verdict
If you’re even a casual Alice Cooper fan, you’ll want to see this. As of now, there are four shows still to come: November 27 & 28 and December 4 & 5. Tickets run from about $110 to $175. We recommend the mid-level tickets at $155. As expressed, you’ll have to bag your phone when you come in. Be prepared to stand. The audience was on their feet from the first word of the first song and stood throughout most of the show. No problem for most, you’ve stood at concerts before.
