AUBURN - Thommie Walsh, Tony Award winning dancer, choreographer and director, may well be one of Auburn's most accomplished sons.

Walsh may be best known for originating the role of Bobby in “A Chorus Line” on Broadway, a role that was based at least in part on Walsh's life.

Walsh also had a part in the film adaptation of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” He also went on to work as a director and choreographer, and at the time of his death on June 16, 2007, he was preparing a version of Charles Dickens' “A Tale of Two Cities” for Broadway.

His loss has left a hole in the world of performing arts.

On Thursday evening, Sean McLeod, president of the New York Institute of Dance and Education, paid homage to his friend and mentor by dedicating NYIDE's annual Song and Dance Man Gala at the Auburn Holiday Inn to Walsh.

“Heaven is lucky,” McLeod said. “This is a tribute to the work and legacy of Thommie Walsh and it makes me very happy to be able to do this.”

McLeod took a few minutes to reflect on Walsh and the role he played in McLeod's life. McLeod said he first met Walsh when he was 9 or 10 years old and Walsh was at the Merry-Go-Round Theatre.

“I had an incredible time,” McLeod said. “He was the kind of person that was always there to give advice and never let you feel defeated.”

McLeod said he kept in touch with Walsh, but it was during a chance meeting on a New York City street that truly cemented the friendship between them.

“I was living in New York full time and really trying to make a go of it,” McLeod said. “And I bumped into him on my way to an audition. He asked me to meet him and have dinner and we talked. I was a new performer, I was green and he really took the time to talk to me. He was such an accessible guy. He was just incredible.”

McLeod said over the years, Walsh and his family stayed in touch with McLeod and that Walsh always seemed to know when to reach out with a bit of encouragement or friendly words of advice when McLeod needed it most.

The Song and Dance Man Gala, is also a fundraiser that raises scholarship money for the school's summer dance program, The New York Dance Festival. It draws students and professional performers from all over the world to participate in workshops and classes in the performing arts.

McLeod began a number of years ago, with a true New York City tableside performance style in mind, reminiscent of smoky nightclubs and the days of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

“It is the Rat Pack concept,” said Lorienne Beals, director of services at the NYIDE and a performer in the show. “The idea is to bring it off the stage and right to the tables to interact with the audience.”

McLeod said this kind of performing was once popular in Auburn, but has since been phased out. The performance is a true triple threat with singing, dancing and acting.

Audience members such as Anne Costello-Jones, of Auburn, have been impressed with the show every year.

“It is really spectacular,” she said. “They are so talented it is overwhelming really. It is truly what I would call a stellar performance.”

As a special tribute to Walsh and his roots on Broadway, the show began with the opening scene of “A Chorus Line.”

“It is such a great scene,” McLeod said. “It gives you the black experience, the Latino experience, the white experience, the male experience and the female experience and it shows the fear of going into an audition. It is about people and there is something of the spirit of Thommie in that to me.”