{{Short description|American actor (1946–2025)}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Bob Bingham | image = Bob Bingham 1973.png | caption = Bingham as Caiaphas in ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1973) | birth_name = Robert Franklin Bingham | birth_date = {{birth date|1946|10|29}} | birth_place = Seattle, Washington, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|2|8|1946|10|29}} | death_place = Carmel, New York, U.S. | alma_mater = University of Washington | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|singer}} | years_active = 1970–1974 | spouse = | children = 2 }}
'''Robert Franklin Bingham''' (October 29, 1946 – February 8, 2025) was an American actor and singer. Bingham is best known for playing the role of Caiaphas in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' in the first USA concert tour, original Broadway cast, original French cast, and in the 1973 film version.<ref name=Smith>Smith, Gary Allen. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ihaBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA137 ''Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on More Than 350 Historical Spectacle Movies''], McFarland & Company, Inc. (2006), p. 137</ref><ref>Dietz, Dan. [https://books.google.com/books?id=12NECgAAQBAJ&pg=PA72 ''The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals''], Rowman & Littlefield (2015), p. 72</ref>
==Life and career== Bingham was born on October 29, 1946, in Seattle, and was raised in Edmonds, Washington. He attended the University of Washington for three years and studied singing with Ernest J. Anderson and acting with Larry and Pamela Liester's Home Adjunct, Inc.<ref name=Resume>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historyforsale.com/html/prodetails.asp?documentid=302846&start=84&page=157|title=Bingham's resumé on the History For Sale website|website=HistoryForSale - Autographs, Collectibles & Memorabilia}}</ref> His first professional appearance was in a touring production of the musical ''Hair'' in 1970, first at the Moore Theatre in Seattle that ran for more than three months, a local record, and then in Miami, Florida.<ref>Johnson, Jonathon. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9ry4zgiDwGwC&pg=PA63 ''Good HAIR Days: A Personal Journey with the American Tribal Love-rock Musical HAIR''], iUniverse (2004), pp. 63 and 93 {{ISBN|0595312977}}</ref><ref>Crowley, Walt. [http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=3741 "First Seattle production of ''Hair'' debuts at the Moore Theater on April 18, 1970"], HistoryLink.org Essay 3741, April 8, 2002, accessed January 23, 2016</ref> In the 1970s Bingham led a Buddhist group dedicated to world peace.<ref>Bigsby, Christopher. ''Arthur Miller: 1962–2005'', p. 254, Orion (2011) {{ISBN|0297863169}}</ref>
Bingham played the role of Caiaphas in the original concert tour of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' and went on to perform the role in the original Broadway production<ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/96322 Bob Bingham], Internet Broadway Database, accessed January 23, 2016</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jcsarchive.8m.com/casts.htm |title=Bingham on the JCS Recording Casts Lists website |access-date=January 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130141638/http://jcsarchive.8m.com/casts.htm |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which ran from 1971 to 1973, and in a Paris production.<ref>Biographical notes in the ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' film souvenir booklet (1973)</ref> He appeared in the film by Juan Orol, ''El fantástico mundo de los hippies'' in 1972.<ref name=Resume/> Along with Barry Dennen (Pilate) and Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene) and Carl Anderson (Judas), Bingham reprised his Broadway role in the 1973 film ''Jesus Christ Superstar''.<ref name=Smith/> In 1974, he played God in the original production of ''Up from Paradise'', by Arthur Miller, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.<ref>[http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Bob-Bingham/ "Bob Bingham Theatre Credits"], BroadwayWorld.com, accessed January 23, 2016</ref> He retired from show business soon afterwards and worked in a managerial position in a Talon zipper factory.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bob Bingham (1946-2025) Obituary |url=https://highlandscurrent.org/2025/02/13/bob-bingham-1946-2025/ |access-date=6 April 2026 |date=13 February 2025}}</ref>
In April 2015, he appeared on-stage at the Hollywood Boulevard Cinema in a question and answer session with Ted Neeley, Barry Dennen and Kurt Yaghjian following a showing of a remastered version of the 1973 film ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. This was as part of a national screening tour.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodblvdcinema.com/events/2015/04/03/special-events/jesus-christ-superstar-cast-live-in-person/#sthash.grxGKtFS.dpuf|title=Jesus Christ Superstar Cast, Live in Person - Hollywood Blvd Cinema - Dinner and a Movie|website=www.hollywoodblvdcinema.com}}</ref> His reminiscences of appearing in the 1973 film were recorded with those of the rest of the original cast in the DVD ''Superstar: the Making and Reunion of the Film'' (2015).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Superstars-Ted-Neeley/dp/B016QE3YAG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449860727&sr=8-2&keywords=ted+neeley+superstars+dvd|title=Amazon.com|website=Amazon }}</ref>
Bingham lived in Brewster, New York, with his wife Idilcia Aracena, and his two children, Franklin and Yasamin. He died in Carmel, New York on February 8, 2025, at the age of 78.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.beecherfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Robert-Franklin-Bingham?obId=36318473|title=Robert Franklin Bingham|website=Beecher Funeral Home}}</ref><ref>[https://www.beecherfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Robert-Franklin-Bingham?obId=36318473 Robert Franklin Bingham Obituary]</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|id=0082922}} * [https://www.facebook.com/BobBinghamUS Bingham's Official Facebook Page] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110522101743/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800083233 Bob Bingham on Yahoo! Movies] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071116055755/http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=168853 'Jesus Christ Superstar' on MSN movies] * {{discogs artist|Bob Bingham}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bingham, Bob}} Category:1946 births Category:2025 deaths Category:American male stage actors Category:American basses Category:Male actors from Seattle Category:University of Washington alumni Category:People from Edmonds, Washington