The head of former energy trading company Enron, Jeffrey Skilling, has won a short delay in his request to report to prison. Skilling will begin serving a 24-year sentence on fraud and conspiracy charges soon. Originally, Skilling was supposed to report to prison today in Waseca, Minnesota at the low-security prison there. Waseca is 75 miles south of Minneapolis.

Skilling, quite naturally, is appealing his conviction. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans delayed his reporting date yesterday, in order to allow enough time to consider a request for bail during Skilling's appeal. This was just in time to prevent Skilling from having to report to Waseca.

The delay -- according to the court -- was "solely to allow this court to give careful consideration to the request for bail pending appeal" based on text at the court's website. The court did not set a new prison report date yet. Skilling was planning to undergo alcohol and mental health counseling at Waseca. Completion of this would have taken an entire year off his sentence, and in addition, Skilling was looking to earn 54 days a year off his sentence for good behavior.

Do you think all the folks involved in the Enron scandal -- Lay, Skilling, Fastow -- deserved what they received? For Lay, some would argue he escaped easily by passing away before his sentence began. Fastow pleaded out and received a less steep sentence, and then Skilling became the highest-ranking executive in corporate America -- thus far -- to receive such a long prison sentence.

In a perfect sign o' the times, Enron: The Musical is coming to Lambert Hall in Houston. The opening of the play today may touch a very sore nerve for many Houstonians, but the sheer psychological impact that the actual Enron debacle left on the American financial landscape seems like the perfect setting for a musical I guess. Maybe Tim Burton had something to do with it, eh? If so, the musical would have been called "The Nightmare Before Enron" or something.

The musical will feature two acts with six local actors -- each playing up to 10 roles (including those Kenneth L. Lay, Jeffrey K. Skilling and Andrew S. Fastow). Enron's songs are show-tune parodies such as Thank Heaven for Off The Books Deals. Very nice. Like I said, opening this play in Houston may give comic relief to some, but to others who lost college funds, their life savings or even their homes, this play may bring some memories that were just starting to be packed away in the back of many minds.

The writer-director-producer of the play -- who sells janitorial supplies during his day job -- Mark Fraser, said "I did a lot of research because even though it's satire, I wanted it to be factually correct. [...] A lot of the stuff in the play people will think I made up because it's so ludicrous, but it's actually all true."

So, if you're in the mood to relive one of the nation's largest corporate scandal, be sure to stop in and catch Enron: The Musical this weekend in Lambert Hall, Houston. If you want to try and make a statement, though, pay your admission with Monopoly money if you have one of those board games lying around.