Bob Cates: Comedy in Motion

FROM SHY FARM BOY TO BEST ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
BIOGRAPHY OF A NEW VAUDEVILLIAN

Bob Cates grew up on a large farm near the small town of Forest, Ontario. A quiet, unassuming young man, he had his head in the stars - which is one of the reasons why he was lousy at stone picking. Perhaps it was all the rocks he threw on the wagon, or perhaps it was all the other stuff he slung in the pig barn; no one is quite sure what caused Bob’s fascination with throwing (things) up. But it was this “air-born” love affair that would take him to undreamed-of heights.

Learning to juggling with tennis balls as a teenager, he was a relative late starter to ever be considered a real contender for the Canadian Juggling Championships. During his 5 years of University though, he practiced hard, learning advanced juggling technique, unicycling, and balancing skills. (Oh yes, he got his Business Degree as well!) In 1994 he would quit his job at the bank (not missing the comments about “juggling the books”) and went on to win the Canadian Juggling Championships. By this time Bob had also won other People’s Choice and Best Novelty Act awards, which contributed to his flourishing reputation as a clean, professional, and amazing Canadian entertainer.

Bob Cates has transformed himself into a modern day Vaudevillian. Suitably naming his show “Comedy in Motion,”
Bob presents a fast-paced, highly interactive comedy show which is reminiscent of an era gone by. One of the many highlights of the show is the 9-minute plate-spinning routine. Using up to two dozen real plates, the audience is on the edge of their seats as he fills the stage with spinning dinnerware six feet off the ground.

Bob’s performances have taken him as far away as Alaska, Singapore, and Russia. He recently returned from an extended performance on a cruise ship visiting Easter Island, Tahiti, and Bora Bora. With a show as flexible, and with as much mass-appeal as “Comedy in Motion,” the show plays perfectly at corporate banquets, special events, trade shows, festivals,
exhibitions, fairs, and on cruise ships.