Editing Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (section)

===Opening the "Palais Royale"===
He obtained financial backing from Count de l'Escalopier, who fronted him<ref name="ref3"/> the 15,000 francs<ref name="ref2"/> to turn his vision into reality. He rented out a suite of rooms above the archways around the gardens of the Palais Royal, which was once owned by [[Cardinal Richelieu]]. He hired workmen to redesign the old assembly room into a theatre. They painted it white with gold trim. Tasteful drapes were hung, chic candelabras were placed throughout, and the stage furniture was set in the style of [[Louis XV of France|Louis XV]].<ref name="ref2"/>

On 3 July 1845, Robert-Houdin premiered his 200-seat [[Théâtre Robert-Houdin]] in what he called "Soirées fantastiques". No critics covered Robert-Houdin's debut, and in his memoirs, Robert-Houdin said that the show had been a disaster. He suffered from stage fright that caused him to talk too fast and in a monotone. He said that he did not know what he was saying or doing, and everything was a blur. He believed that a magician should not present a trick until it was mechanically perfected to be certain of avoiding failure, and this caused him to over-rehearse.<ref name="ref2"/>

After the first show, he was close to having a nervous breakdown. He closed the theatre and had every intention to close it for good, until a friend agreed that the venture was a silly idea. Instead of admitting defeat, Robert-Houdin, irked at the friend's effrontery, used this insult to regain his courage, and persevered in giving the show a long run at his little theatre.<ref name="ref2"/><ref name="ref3"/> Although the forty-year-old magician was unpolished at first, he soon gained the confidence required for the stage.<ref name="ref3"/>

With each performance, Robert-Houdin got better, and he began to receive critical acclaim. ''[[Le Charivari]]'' and ''[[L'Illustration]]'' both said that his mechanical marvels and artistic magic were comparable to those of his predecessors like Philippe and [[Bartolomeo Bosco]]. Even with all of this, still relatively few people would come to the little theatre during the summer months, and he struggled to keep it open. To meet expenses, he sold the three houses that he had inherited from his mother.

The following year, he added a new trick to his programme that became especially popular. Seats at the Palais Royal were at a premium. This new marvel was called ''[[Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin#Second Sight|Second Sight]]''. ''Second Sight'' drew the audiences into the little theatre. Once there, they saw the other creations Robert-Houdin had to offer.<ref name="ref2"/> He also performed outside Paris, sometimes with local magicians, as he did in [[Liège]] in 1846 with the then well-known Belgian magician [[Louis Courtois (illusionist)|Louis Courtois]].<ref name="ref3" />