Alice Cooper and Criss Angel have released an official live clip of “Ballad of Dwight Fry” from their Welcome To Our Nightmare collaboration in Las Vegas, and it delivers exactly the kind of dark spectacle longtime Cooper fans would hope for.
Musically, this is classic Alice Cooper. The performance sounds great, but the theatrics are what really bring the song to life. Cooper spends part of the performance restrained in a straitjacket, leaning fully into the disturbed character and theatrical storytelling that have made his live shows legendary.
Criss Angel fits naturally into Cooper’s nightmare. At one point, Angel rises from the middle of the stage while a creepy character with a glowing mask makes its way through the crowd. Later, Angel is suspended upside down above the audience, spinning while attempting to escape from his own straitjacket. As he breaks free, he appears to begin falling toward the crowd just as the video cuts off. It is a perfect cliffhanger for a performance built around illusion and danger.
The combination works because neither side feels tacked on. Alice Cooper brings the music, characters, horror and rock theatrics, while Criss Angel adds another level of illusion and spectacle. It feels less like a magician being added to a rock concert and more like two theatrical worlds colliding.
For a song already known for its unsettling atmosphere, “Ballad of Dwight Fry” is an ideal choice for this collaboration. The quality music, excellent musicianship and over-the-top visual performance should make any classic Alice Cooper fan happy.
The clip comes from the Welcome To Our Nightmare shows at the Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. According to the press release from Atom Splitter PR, the production returns November 27–28 and December 4–5, with Nita Strauss rejoining Alice Cooper’s band for the Vegas performances.
