From Farm Boy to Headliner

Stacks Image 955
My name is Bob Cates. I’m a self employed comedy entertainer living in Cambridge Ontario. I’ve been making a living in show business full time for about 22 years, beginning shortly after I won the Canadian Juggling Championships in my university years. My timing was perfect, since they were discontinued after that year!

Learning to juggle with tennis balls as a teenager, I was a relative late starter to be considered a real contender for the Canadian Juggling Championships, let alone a full time professional. But I practiced hard, learning advanced juggling, unicycling, balancing skills and performance technique. My passion for the theatre and the art of juggling continued to develop during my 5 years of post secondary education, earning a diploma from the Baptist Leadership Education Centre in Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University. After university I volunteered for seven months in Lithuania with IFES, the European version of Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship.

Following my return to Canada in 1995, I began performing full time. In the mid to late 1990s, I performed at many fairs, festivals and private events, as well as at every major Busking Festival in Canada. In 2000, I started performing on cruise ships about 20 weeks a year for Holland America, Disney, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity. I continue to make a living today in part with headline performances on cruise ships. Besides cruise ships, most of my performances now are for corporate, association and gala special events, and theatres. I also perform and speak at church and ministry events.
Stacks Image 963
In 2007, I married my dream girl Jane who in fact had hired me for a show several years earlier (good thing I was affordable!). We work together now making it a family business, as she works behind the scenes in many ways, as well as on the stage. In the first several years of marriage together the show has taken us to places far and wide, including France, England, Russia, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, California, Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and even Hamilton!

The goal of our company is to provide polished, professional, clean, funny and amazing entertainment in a world where you sometimes find performers that are unprofessional, un-funny and have questionable versions of “clean.”

Part of the secret to our success has been the “universal appeal” of our comedy & variety show. It has been received as well received at a teen conference as it is on a seniors cruise. The show can generate a standing ovation just as easily at a corporate gala special event as it does at a fund raiser for a para-church ministry. In a sense, our show is like a Pixar movie - top quality and great for all ages.

We would love to have the opportunity to make your event successful and make you look good! Check our VIDEOS, PHOTOS, TESTIMONIALS, and 10 REASONS you should book us. Then, on the GET A QUOTE page you can fill in a few details about your event, which will allow us to send you a quote.

If you’re more of a phone person, you can call us at 519 249 1150.
Stacks Image 975

SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT BOB

I grew up on a cash crop and pig farm near Forest Ontario with 1000 pigs! Most days of my childhood had major chores to do, such as an hour in the barn taking care of the pigs, or in the field. My dad claims that I was no good at stone picking because I was always looking up.
Some of my hobbies (besides juggling) include: Dance Dance Revolution, roller blading, bicycling on my 2004 Rat Fink Cruzer, riding my Honda Shadow motorcycle, playing video games (mostly car racing sims), reading books, reading blogs, studying the Bible, and playing with my 6 year old son
Some snacks that I love include Jumbo Sour Keys from Costco, “PC Loads of All Dressed Flavour Rippled Potato Chips, Kernals Cheezy PC Dill Popcorn, and cold Diet Coke
If you want to impress my wife all you need is Iced Tea or Tim Hortons Coffee.
Stacks Image 985