# Irene Gandy

Irene Gandy (born November 21, 1943) is an American theater publicist and producer. Notable for being the only African-American female publicist in the history of ATPAM., Gandy received the 2020 Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre.

## Early life

Gandy was born on November 21, 1943, in Westbury, New York.

## Career

Gandy attended NYU briefly, before dropping out and enmeshing herself into New York City's downtown theatrical scene. In 1968, she began her publicity career working under Douglas Turner Ward and Robert Hooks at the Negro Ensemble Company
In the late 1970s, Gandy turned away from theatre briefly to work as associate director of Special Markets for CBS Records, supervising Earth, Wind and Fire, The Jacksons, The Isley Brothers, and Labelle, among other artists.
The bulk of Gandy's Broadway publicity career was spent alongside producer/publicist Jeffrey Richards, with whom she represented over 100 Broadway productions.
Gandy was publicist for the 1987 revival of Sweet Charity, and was on hand when Bob Fosse died in Washington D.C. prior to an out-of-town preview.
In 1990, Gandy served as producer of the national tour of Sarafina!. In 2012, she made her Broadway producing debut with Porgy and Bess, for which she received the 2012 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
In 2020, Gandy was appointed to The Drama League Board of Directors, and in 2023, the Drama League renamed its Drama League Stage Directing Assistantships program to "The Drama League Irene Gandy Directing Assistantships" program.

## Personal life

Gandy is mother to artist Mira Gandy.

## Broadway Stage

| Year | Production | Publicist | Producer |
| 1970 | Hay Fever | Yes | No |
| 1971 | Johnny Johnson | Yes | No |
| 1976 | Going Up | Yes | No |
| 1976 | Wheelbarrow Closers | Yes | No |
| 1976 | Don't Step On My Olive Branch | Yes | No |
| 1977 | Gemini | Yes | No |
| 1979 | Whoopee! | Yes | No |
| 1980 | Your Arms Too Short to Box with God | Yes | No |
| 1980 | A Lesson From Aloes | Yes | No |
| 1986 | Me and My Girl | Yes | No |
| 1989 | The Cirle | Yes | No |
| 1998 | Patti Labelle On Broadway | Yes | No |
| 2001 | A Thousand Clowns | Yes | No |
| 2003 | Enchanted April | Yes | No |
| 2005 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Yes | No |
| 2006 | Spring Awakening | Yes | No |
| 2006 | The Caine Mutiny Court Martial | Yes | No |
| 2007 | August: Osage County | Yes | No |
| 2007 | Radio Golf | Yes | No |
| 2007 | Talk Radio | Yes | No |
| 2007 | The Homecoming | Yes | No |
| 2008 | November | Yes | No |
| 2008 | Speed-the-Plow | Yes | No |
| 2009 | Blithe Spirit | Yes | No |
| 2009 | Desire Under the Elms | Yes | No |
| 2009 | Race | Yes | No |
| 2009 | Superior Donuts | Yes | No |
| 2009 | You're Welcome America | Yes | No |
| 2010 | A Life in the Theatre | Yes | No |
| 2010 | All About Me | Yes | No |
| 2010 | Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson | Yes | No |
| 2010 | Enron | Yes | No |
| 2011 | Bonnie and Clyde | Yes | No |
| 2011 | Chinglish | Yes | No |
| 2012 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Yes | No |
| 2012 | Porgy and Bess | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | The Anarchist | Yes | No |
| 2012 | The Best Man | Yes | No |
| 2012 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Yes | No |
| 2013 | The Glass Menagerie | Yes | No |
| 2014 | All The Way | Yes | No |
| 2014 | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill | Yes | No |
| 2014 | The Bridges of Madison County | Yes | No |
| 2014 | The Realistic Joneses | Yes | No |
| 2014 | You Can't Take It with You | Yes | No |
| 2015 | The Heidi Chronicles | Yes | No |
| 2022 | Ohio State Murders | No | Yes |
| 2023 | Purlie Victorious | No | Yes |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
| 2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess | Won | |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Excellence in Theatre | Excellence in Theatre | Recipient | |