Thomas Joseph "Thommie" Walsh III (March 15, 1950 – June 16, 2007) was an American dancer, choreographer, director, and author.
Biography
Thommie Walsh was born in Auburn, New York, and began to study dance at age five at the Irma Baker School of Dance. When Irma retired, Thommie traveled to Syracuse NY weekly to continue his dance training under David Shields. After high school, he majored in Dance and minored in Musical Theater at the Boston Conservatory of Music from 1968 - 1971, but left during his junior year, with an associates degree, to tour with Disney on Parade.[1]
In 1975 Walsh was invited by choreographer Tony Stevens to participate in a series of frank conversations among Broadway dancers, known as "gypsies," about their experiences, hopes, and dreams. The result was Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line, in which he originated the role of Bobby. The musical opened on Broadway on July 25, 1975.[5] The role of Bobby was in large part based on his life [6] and also used material from a comedy stand-up routine he used at the time. (Samples: "I thought about killing myself, but then I realized to commit suicide in Buffalo is redundant." and "I used to break into people's houses. I didn't steal anything; I'd just rearrange their furniture.") He co-wrote a book with Baayork Lee, another Chorus Line cast member, about the musical's origins and evolution, entitled On the Line, published by William Morrow in 1990.[7][8]
With such a developed reputation in the industry, Walsh was brought in as a show doctor on many of Broadway's shows during the 1980s, such as The Grand Tour, Black and Blue, The Tap Dance Kid; he also choreographed many numbers in Grand Hotel.
Walsh also directed and choreographed many commercials such as the NY Lottery, Perdue Chicken, Crush, and MCI. Walsh's last direction and choreography before his death was the national tour of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Ann-Margret and Gary Sandy.[16]
At the time of his death, he was working on a musical adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities as choreographer, for a Broadway opening.[17][18]
Much of his work was done in collaboration with Tommy Tune, including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.[7]
He also was a judge for Miss America, Danny Hoctor's Dance Caravan and Stars of Tomorrow in conjunction with the Professional Dance Teachers Association.
The last show Thommie directed was Greetings from Yorkville, which opened off Broadway on October 4, 2007, and ran through November 11, 2007, post Thommie's death in June.
Personal life
Thommie Walsh died on June 16, 2007, at his Auburn, New York, home from lymphoma at age 57.[7][15]
On Friday May 18, 2018, Thommie became the first person inducted posthumously into the Auburn Alumni Hall of Distinction. Thommie is survived by his sister Barbara Walsh, who is also an avid supporter of the arts.
Thommie's hometown theater, The Rev Theater Co. (formerly the Finger Lakes Musical Theater Festival at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse) created the Thommie Walsh Memorial Scholarship in 2018. The scholarship is given to an Auburn native who wishes to pursue a career in the performing arts. The theater has brought in friends of Thommie's, including Julie Budd, Michele Lee, Lucie Arnaz, and Tommy Tune, who have performed concerts to raise money for the scholarship fund.
