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AAPRC Weekly: Irene Gandy

Irene Gandy
Producer and Publicist
Jeffrey Richards and Associates
NYC


Irene Gandy's nearly 40-year career in theatrical publicity was jumpstarted by happenstance and gumption and it's been moving along smoothly ever since.

In the mid-sixties Gandy was in New York, just, as she describes it, "raising her daughter and hanging out." She took an acting class with Gene Frankel Workshops, and one of her classmates took her to a theatre opening. At the opening she met a casting agent who put her in a movie, so, briefly, Irene Gandy was an actress. Things happened like that for the Long Island, New York-born Gandy. One day, her neighbor, who wrote plays for a children's theatre company, asked Gandy to fill in for "the owl," who was out sick. Gandy did and found herself sharing the stage with an old friend, Fred Galloway, who was a manager with the newly formed Negro Ensemble Company (NEC).

The NEC––which went on to become a cornerstone of African-American arts––was looking for a press agent. Because every one of the potential candidates was white and the NEC had been formed to bring more African-Americans to professional theatre, Galloway asked Gandy if she would at least go and interview for the position. "I said I'm not doing anything during the day so I'll go and at least interview," Gandy remembers. "My only knowledge of press agents came from watching old Mae West movies."

Confident that she didn't have the slightest chance of getting the position, Gandy went in fearless and curious about what press agents did. In the end, she interviewed the agent as much as he interviewed her. "I said thank you very much for your time, I know I didn't get the job," says Gandy. "The next thing I knew he was calling and telling me to come on in. I guess he figured if I could sell him I could sell anybody and that's what PR is about––selling."

In order to work as a publicist for Broadway productions, you have to be a member of the Association of Theatrical Publicists and Managers (ATPAM). Membership in the ATPAM requires a three-year apprenticeship with a senior press agent on a professional production. Gandy's apprenticeship with the NEC press agent began with the death of her boss' roommate the week after she was hired. "[My boss] went on a drunken binge and I had to learn trial-by-fire," Gandy says. "My first big thing was to get this press release on a benefit for the NEC to The New York Times."

Just three days into her new career Gandy––dressed in pink corduroy hot pants, matching pink cap and brown suede go-go boots––was determined to hand deliver the important press release to the venerable Times arts and leisure editor, Seymour Peck. The person at the front desk told her to just leave the package there, but Gandy refused to hand over the release to anyone except Peck. "I said no, I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving here until Mr. Peck comes out," Gandy remembers. "Sy Peck came out and gave me a tour of everything that went on. I've learned since that you've got to really sell yourself too. It's nice to actually go meet the people you're sending the press release to, and I still do that."

And, yes, the NEC got the coverage.

Gandy finished her apprenticeship at the NEC in 1974 and her first job as a fully accredited press agent was the road tour of "Purlie Victorious" with Robert Guillaume. Since then, she's done more than 100 Broadway shows, including: "Bubbling Brown Sugar," "Eubie" with Gregory Hines, Bob Fosse's "Chicago," "The Wiz" with Stephanie Mills, Lena Horne's "The Lady and Her Music," Gore Vidal's "The Best Man," and many more.

The most important lesson she's learned? "Never take it seriously," Gandy insists. "An old press agent told me a long time ago that this is a dressed-up flunky's job. [The actors] are not your friends. Stay away from backstage... Never forget you're providing a service. To this day I'm probably working because I still live by that code."

In 1975, soon after her work with the road company of "Purlie," that famous Gandy happenstance struck again. Gandy had been working with the popular soul/rock group LaBelle (Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendrix and Sarah Dash), and the trio was planning a concert at the Metropolitan Opera––the first rock concert at the famed music hall. Gandy was away on vacation when LaBelle's manager called and asked her to return to New York because the label wasn't getting the group enough press. "So, I go to the Met and I'm standing outside because I'd invited Newsweek and Time," says Gandy. "I'm standing next to this red-haired guy who says: 'oh, what are you doing…?' I said I find it amazing I had to come back from my vacation. This is a major event and this big record company doesn't know how to do national press."

Turns out the red-haired guy was Irwin Segelstein, then president of CBS Records. The next thing Gandy knew she was associate director of special markets for CBS. During her two years at the company, she worked with most of the era's major African-American recording stars. "Everybody black worked for CBS––Gamble and Huff, Stax, everybody," Gandy says. "That was the joke. They said that if you're a black cat, CBS would sign you."

Also at CBS, Gandy met the Reverend Al Sharpton. He was picketing outside the company's offices, protesting the lack of opportunities for African-Americans at the corporation. "I said well, bring him up," Gandy recalls. "Everybody was afraid to talk to him. I didn't even know him, but I figured he was right. People in the community were spending money [with the company]. What are you giving back?" As Sharpton's entrée to CBS, Gandy was instrumental in getting a minority internship program started.

Gandy left CBS Records in 1977, eager to get back to theatre. "I thought record companies were really sleazy…I didn't like it too much," Gandy admits. "Music people get really caught up. They become the star. And the poor talent––one minute they're picking cotton and the next minute they're sitting down at Cipriani's…and they're afraid not to cooperate."

Gandy has worked on Broadway ever since, putting her skills to work for some of Broadway's best, including the legendary choreographer Bob Fosse. Her personal clients have included Freddie Jackson, Phylicia Rashad and Stephanie Mills, and she's been with press agent and producer Jeffrey Richards for the past 18 years.

These days, Gandy's projects include celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Harlem Week and the 2004 National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, of which she is an associate producer. The veteran publicist is wearing the producer's hat more frequently now. Currently, her office is producing the musical "Beehive," which debuts next spring with Debbie Allen directing and choreographing. Previously, Gandy was an associate producer for the 1987 U.S. tour of the hit South African musical "Sarafina!"

Gandy was the first black female publicist to work Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, and she's still the only black female member of ATPAM. She sites the apprenticeship rule as one of the biggest stumbling blocks to diversity on the Great White Way. "You have to be able to apprentice for three years, but what show runs three years?" Gandy points out. "I was fortunate because I had the NEC."

When she's not working––which isn't often––Gandy loves nothing more than cocooning in her West Village apartment. "What I like to do is cook and watch sitcoms and read lots of romance novels. I do absolutely nothing," says Gandy. Surprisingly––or maybe not––she doesn't go to the theatre––not even a movie theatre––unless she's going to see a friend. Gandy has one daughter, Myra, a successful painter who lives in Los Angeles.

AAPRC's Mission
The African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC) is an assemblage of professionals who provide communication conduits among clients, journalists, media and our communities. We come together as a collective because we recognize the importance of building those same conduits amongst ourselves.

A great deal of what we do is professional development––updating our skills, keeping pace with technology, refining and streamlining processes, providing a forum to tackle the issues that impact our work environment––but we believe our professional lives benefit most from the forging of effective alliances. Connected to one another, we possess the power of a nationwide body of committed, knowledgeable practitioners with an eye on the future.

As we move into the 21st century at lightning speed, mass media and its potent messages occupy an ever-larger part of our daily lives and our collective psyche. The AAPRC is focused on helping our members gain a deeper understanding of media's force and supporting their growth as powerful participants in the global communications network.

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