Curtain raiser

A curtain raiser is a performance or performer that opens a show or event for the main attraction; it is usually shorter than the main attraction, but not always.

The term is derived from the act of raising the stage curtain.

The fashion in the late Victorian era and Edwardian era was to present long evenings in the theatre, and so full-length pieces were often presented together with, usually shorter, companion pieces.

[1] Each full-length work was normally accompanied by one or two short companion pieces.

If the piece began the performance, it was called a curtain raiser.