Some collaborations just make perfect sense. Alice Cooper, shock rock’s reigning godfather, and Criss Angel, magic’s self-proclaimed GOAT, were always going to find each other eventually. The only surprise is that it took this long.
Their limited engagement, Welcome to Our Nightmare, opened March 6 at the Criss Angel Theater inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, and if the sold-out March dates are any indication, Las Vegas visitors were super-thirsty for the mayhem. The first three shows sold fast enough to force the addition of more dates, and opening night delivered exactly what it promised: a 19-song, 90-minute collision of rock anthems and mind-bending illusion that left fans with zero photographic evidence—phones were strictly prohibited—and apparently a lot to talk about.
Cooper didn’t just play the hits. He dusted off deep cuts and delivered three live debuts—songs that had never been performed onstage before, including “Cold Machines” and “I Am Made of You”—alongside a performance of the ballad “You and Me” for the first time since 1978. It was the kind of setlist that rewards the faithful: One fan on Instagram claimed he had seen Cooper more than 60 times and couldn’t wait for this particular collab. That’s the bar this show is clearing.
The duo isn’t shy about the show’s ambition and what they’re willing to do to deliver their fans’ dreamiest nightmare. In a post on Angel’s Instagram following the opening run, the pair addressed devotees directly: “We Thank YOU Sick Thing for the love. We look forward to terrorize your thoughts in an audio/visual feast for a night you’ll NEVER forget!”—signed, in true theatrical fashion, "Alice and Angel." (A drop of blood icon appears between their two names.)
The remaining performances are your opportunity to get in on the audiovisual nightmare. For more than five decades, Cooper has used the stage as a laboratory (guillotines, electric chairs, boa constrictors), treating every tour like a dare, and the catalog reflects it: “Poison,” “School’s Out,” “I’m Eighteen,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Feed My Frankenstein” and more, each song staged with the kind of theatrical menace that made him the architect of shock rock. Angel, who has spent over a decade building his MINDFREAK residency into one of Las Vegas’ most enduring spectacles, operates in that same register: dark and highly dramatic, conveying maximum visual impact. One early review described Nightmare as a Vitamix-style blend of both their worlds—intense, immersive and engineered to unsettle audiences in the best possible way. That they’ve been called creative kindred spirits for years makes sharing a stage feel like an overdue reunion.
Tickets for the remaining dates, which are expected to sell out, have VIP packages available, including a backstage meet-and-greet with both Cooper and Angel.
But even if you don’t get that up close and personal, they’re promising a night you’ll never forget. Based on what’s already gone down at Planet Hollywood, that’s not a boast. Just ask anyone who was there in March.
Sweet dreams!
Planet Hollywood, 7 p.m. April 2-4, May 21-23, starting at $110.85 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
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