The king of shock rock and master of the musical macabre is just dying to entertain you Northwest Indiana. Quite literally in fact.

He is of course, Alice Cooper – pioneer of theatrical rock, songwriter, recording artist, late night radio host, film actor, celebrity golfer, book author and world traveler.

The Detroit–born, snake caressing, hard–rocking son of a minister spoke to The Times via a trans–continental phone call from Denmark, shortly before storming the stage there.

Cooper was only too happy to chat about his newest concept album "Along Came A Spider", his love of golf, and what may be his most adventurous live stage show in years. He'll bring his show to Star Plaza Theatre on Tuesday.

The rock icon describes the aptly titled "Theater of Death Tour" as a four–act presentation linked together by his dying in a variety of fashions.

"I took our show and completely turned it all upside down," Cooper said. "You know that at the end of all of my shows, we would always find a way to dispose of Alice. They would hang me or cut my head off or something like that. This show is being done in four parts and the way we get Alice from A to B to C to D, is to kill him. I journey from the insane asylum to hell and it's quite the show. But we call it the Theater of Death, because they kill me four times in four different ways during the show."

Each of the themed "suites" feature seven or eight songs, with a total of 28 tunes being performed during the the show.

"It's a very theatrical show and pretty adventurous, so you can imagine the amount of rehearsal it took for us to get this one ready for the road," he said.

Missing from the road on this trip is the rocker's 29–year–old actress/dancer daughter Calico Cooper. "Calico has joined two improv groups in Los Angeles – The Groundlings and The Upright Citizens Brigade – so she's doing improv comedy right now. She's doing a couple of TV shows and a couple of movies too, so she's really busy. Working with us in this show is Calico's best friend Tiffany Lowe and she is very physical on stage and does a great job."

The rocker's wife of 34 years, Sheryl Cooper, who met Alice when she was hired as a dancer for his 1975 "Welcome To My Nightmare" world tour, continues to help create the choreography for the Alice tours.

"If Calico or Tiffany sprains an ankle or something happens and they can't perform, Sheryl comes in and does it and nails it. She's still the best there is," crowed Cooper proudly.

The Coopers have three children. Along with Calico is their 25–year–old son Dash (a rocker like his old man with the band Runaway Phoenix, soon to graduate with a communications degree from Arizona State) and 18–year–old daughter Sonora Rose.

Cooper reports the set list for the show revisits all his classic albums.

"We're doing pieces from throughout Alice's career," he said.

Another album with songs spotlighted is Cooper's latest conceptual rock epic, "Along Came A Spider."

"It's really a good little story," he said about the album. "It's about a serial killer who fashions himself after a spider and wraps his victims up in silk the way a spider would wrap up a fly in his silk web. He takes one leg from each victim because he needs to collect eight legs like a spider..."It's twisted in a beautiful way and ends with him in the asylum, leaving the listener wondering if the murders really took place or were just played out as fantasies in his mind," Cooper said. "I'm really proud of this album."

Slash of Guns 'N Roses and Velvet Revolver fame popped in to play guitar on the album's single, "Vengeance Is Mine," while Ozzy Osbourne co–wrote and plays harmonica on the track "Wake The Dead." Cooper co–produced the album.

A new concept album is already in the works with Alice's longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin.

The Energizer Bunny has nothing on Cooper, who at 62 goes nonstop all day, everyday. Cooper said he is busier, healthier and happier than ever.

"Sometimes I don't know how I do it," he laughed. "I tour about six months out of the year, do a radio show every night, write and record a new album every couple of years, and still find time to golf everyday."

"Actually, it's the lack of stress in my life," he said. "I've got a great wife, I've got great kids, financially I am in fine shape, and get to put on makeup and play rock 'n' roll everyday. I just don't let things get to me. I don't let the world stress me out. Stress kills more people than drugs or alcohol and I'm just not going to let it get me."