What makes a good opening trick, what makes something a feature trick?
What should my Opening trick be?
Let’s keep this answer short. It should be a foolproof effect that effectively establishes your personality with the audience. You should have plenty of eye contact with the audience and remember that unless this trick works out well then you are stuck in a hole you will probably never dig yourself out of. If you don’t win ‘em now in all likelihood you never will. The effect should be clean cut, easy to grasp and appeal to the kind of crowd you are working to. Bringing a spectator or you leaving the stage is probably a mistake this early in the show
What is a Feature Trick?
It is vital to construct your show so that it involves texture in the tricks that make it up. These tricks should be varied in content, tempo, length, and execution. This is just good theatre. Don’t perform five card tricks in a row or seven tricks back to back where you bring spectators onstage. Sorry about that last one mentalists! Create an interesting and varied mosaic of magic to entertain your audience and this construction now becomes your ground zero as a performer.
Once you have achieved the basic framework of a balanced act, then you find the one effect that achieves more impact and interest than any of the others. You will probably discover that this happens automatically. Don’t overthink it, and make sure you chose the effect that the audience likes best and not the one that you personally favor.
Polish this effect still further, add a couple of surprise touches to it or highlight the tempo to strengthen it. It might need a few more minutes to fully develop the plot, or it might need tightening up to add to its impact. Put the time, energy and sometimes cash into turning it into a genuine feature effect in your show. Think of it as the heart of act and make sure it powerfully pumps blood to all the extremities of the show.
REMARKABLE MAGIC 
Hi Nick,
This paragraph says it all for finding the Featured Trick:
“Once you have achieved the basic framework of a balanced act, then you find the one effect that achieves more impact and interest than any of the others. You will probably discover that this happens automatically. Don’t overthink it, and make sure you chose the effect that the audience likes best and not the one that you personally favor.”
As magicians we often choose the trick we like the best, but the audience doesn’t care for at all, and how often has a trick we thought was a dog go down the best?
I don’t perform very much, but enjoy reading your blog all the same.
Thanks for sharing.
andy
Well thank you Andy. After 50 years performing , I have reached a point where being on the road is no longer fun,. I do enjoy trying to express some of the things, many very intangible, in actual words. It is always extremely gratifying when someone appreciates it and takes the time to say so! Very kindest regards, Nick.