Associate Spotlight

Bob Abdou got his stage "Mr. Puppet" in 1996 from a young patron of the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Bob started volunteering there every Saturday, greeting people with a ventriloquist dummy at the door. Bob wasn't there one week, and this child asked, 'Where's Mr. Pup at the door, pet'?

The staff at the box office told Bob a child called him Mr. Puppet. At that moment, Bob's new stage name would be Mr. Puppet, and a career as a ventriloquist was born.

Since then, Bob has made a 27-year career of being Mr. Puppet. He has become a beloved children and family entertainer in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, and now in his new home in South Carolina. Mr. Puppet has performed worldwide, as far away as Hawaii and Japan. He is a regular performer at the Red Skelton Theater in Vincennes, Indiana, he's performed for 22 years at the Fest for Beatles Fans (the official convention celebrating the FAB 4), and he's even had his Beatles puppets walk across Abbey Road in London! Mr. Puppet has averaged 35 Amish school shows For the past seven years and is one of the few "non-Amish" persons in Ohio accepted to perform for this community. Mr. Puppet wants to enter the Florida county fair market and show you the quality show you deserve.

Mr. Puppet's first fair was the Michigan State Fair in 2002, and he did it for three years in a row. Since then, he's done hundreds of shows at fairs in Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. He keeps children and families entertained with his interactive shows full of puppet characters like Bob the Dancing Skeleton, BeeBee the Clown, Sweet Tea the Dinosaur, and everyone's favorite, Stinky the Possum. Bob has a way of drawing everyone into a show with his high-energy and audience participation. Children laugh and scream delightfully, and even the most reluctant teenagers find his show entertaining.

Bob says he's noticed something about being at many fairs: "When you entertain the children, the parents stay at the fair and spend more money with the vendors. Then the kids want to come back next year. Then when they get older, they come with their friends. Then they come with their dates and spouses and can't wait to bring their children to the same entertainment." A show with Mr. Puppet entertains all ages with belly laughs and creates fond memories, which helps fairs realize great entertainment continued success and longevity.

Ventriloquism is an excellent fit for county fairs. It's a favorite with audiences, and the puppet characters help everyone to be drawn into the performance quickly. And Ventriloquism is HOT right now. With Darcy Lynne and Brynn Cummings from America's Got Talent, young people are familiar with and inspired by this classic fair staple. And with his decades of experience as a ventriloquist, Mr. Puppet is a great ambassador for the art form. After shows, Mr. Puppet mingles with those wanting to learn the art of ventriloquism and help create a buzz for future entertainers.

Over the 7,200 shows performed, Bob has gotten a lot of accolades, but the most important to him is the thanks he gets from the people who see him and love his shows. One of his favorite testimonials came from a mother who said, "My son laughed so hard at your show that no sound came out!" Mr. Puppet makes himself available to have pictures taken of his puppets with his fans. Once, after a Fair in Morrow County, OH, there was a note on his dashboard. It said, "Thank you for the joy you bring to the world." It was from one of the 4H parents who took her group to see the show. Bob said, "Not every performer can do outside shows. It takes a love for the audience, appreciation for any size audience, and always giving them the best performance possible, that's what they deserve, and that's what my clients expect- and I deliver!

Let Mr. Puppet show you his stuff, and make him your new favorite entertainer for 2024.

If you would like to have Mr. Puppet entertain the visitors to your fair, contact him at 614-329-5399 or check out his website at www.mrpuppet.org. Facebook page Mr. Puppet Fan Page