When I was living and performing in Branson, MO, I put together a short routine for a show called theFriday After Dark Cabaret. I was trying to create a short stand alone piece that would serve as a commentary about the nature of magic as an art which at the same time would be an actual magic trick. I liked it a lot, but could never find an appropriate placement for it in my show. When I returned to Austin, TX, I tried putting it in at the beginning of my show, as a prologue to the show itself. The reaction to the routine and the impact it had on framing my show pleased me so much that it has now become the official opening to every show I do.