Nita Strauss is coming back to Alice Cooper‘s band. The guitarist will return for four dates at the Criss Angel Theatre inside Planet Hollywood in November and December, her first shows with Cooper since March.
Strauss plays the “Welcome To Our Nightmare” run on November 27 and 28 and December 4 and 5. She has been away since March 8, having taken maternity leave.
Cooper confirmed the return alongside the release of the first video footage from the residency.
“We added the November and December shows after the March, April and May shows sold out so quickly, so that more of our fans could experience this very special show that Criss and I created,” he said.
Cooper continued: “Nita opened our 2026 touring season in Las Vegas back in March and is now returning to close out 2026 with us there, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming the Hurricane back onto the stage. Bringing Nita back after she took a break to start a family is the perfect way to wrap up 2026.”
He added: “We couldn’t believe our luck when we confirmed Anna Cara to fill in for [Nita] for all of our shows across North America and Europe this year. Anna has been a true asset to the tour and she’s now part of the family. Who could ask for anything more than to have these two amazing musicians in the Cooper family?”
She Chose Her Own Replacement
When Strauss stepped away in April, the guitarist who took her place was her own recommendation. Anna Cara, a 22-year-old from Newcastle who has played with Krokus singer Marc Storace and in Tommy Henriksen‘s band Crossbone Skully, made her debut on the Las Vegas run on April 2.
Anna, for her part, said at the time: “This is like a dream come true, to join Alice and his great band. Back when I started playing guitar at 14, I was watching Alice Cooper live shows on YouTube dreaming of joining one day! Nita Strauss is a tough act to follow, and she’s been so encouraging to me this past month, so I am looking forward to showing everyone who I am and what I can do.”
Nita added: “When I was asked in an interview who I thought was the best up and coming guitarist, I had no hesitation in answering ‘Anna Cara.’ Anna‘s precision and soulful, emotional playing will make her an amazing asset to the Cooper tour! Working with Alice for 12 years has been the experience of a lifetime and I look forward to seeing you all back on the road (with a +1 along for the ride!) Until that time comes, I know that the show is in good hands and the fans are in for a treat!”
Cara has covered every North American and European show since and is not going anywhere yet. She remains on the “Alice’s Attic” tour for the September 17 to 22 and October 27 to November 21 legs.
Strauss had her first child, a son, over the summer, and has said she intends to take him out on the road with her.
She has been in Cooper‘s band since 2014, though this is not her first absence from it. She left in 2022 to tour as part of Demi Lovato‘s band and returned the following March.
“Welcome To Our Nightmare” is a joint production between Cooper and illusionist Criss Angel, folding magic and stage illusion into a Cooper set. It opened on March 6 at the Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, and the first three shows sold out fast enough that more weekends were added in April and May.
The production runs 19 songs across roughly 90 minutes, with phones prohibited in the room. The setlist has pulled from corners of Cooper‘s catalogue he rarely visits: “Cold Machines” and “I Am Made Of You” were both played live for the first time, and the ballad “You And Me” returned to the set for the first time since 1978.
The video released this week is the first footage from the shows to be made public.
