Photos by Sharon Sipple
The historic Hershey Theatre proved to be the ultimate setting for Alice Cooper’s brand of macabre vaudeville as his “Alice’s Attic Tour” rolled into Chocolate Town on November 4. Stepping into the ornate, century-old venue instead of a cavernous arena amplified every theatrical beat, making the nightmare feel wonderfully immediate. From the opening curtain, the 78-year-old rock icon commanded the stage with razor-sharp energy, commanding top hat, and unmistakable swagger, proving his theatrical bite has lost none of its edge over more than five decades. Backed by a powerhouse band that fired on all cylinders, Cooper tore through classic staples like “I’m Eighteen,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and “Feed My Frankenstein,” matching raw garage-rock bite with seamless stage choreography.
The night peaked as Cooper leaned deep into the grand guignol spectacle fans expect, transforming the lavish auditorium into an asylum-themed playground complete with the guillotine, straightjackets, and sinister props. Anthems like “Poison” and “Billion Dollar Babies” brought the seated crowd roaring to its feet, culminating in a chaotic, confetti-strewn encore of “School’s Out” infused with snippets of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” In an era where many legacy acts strip down production for theater runs, Cooper delivered a masterclass in arena-caliber showmanship scaled perfectly to an intimate room, reminding central Pennsylvania why he remains rock’s undisputed Prince of Darkness.
