Mark Andrews

Mark Andrews has been at the heart of American theater for the past 40 years. He’s worked with Yul Brynner, Leonard Bernstein and Hal Prince. He’s managed Broadway productions ranging from the classic musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Talley’s Folly to the record-breaking The Phantom of the Opera. And he’s travelled the country and the world, shepherding casts and crews throughout the United States, Canada, France, Japan and Australia.

Mark (and his identical twin brother, Paul) followed in the Boilermaker footsteps of both grandfathers and an uncle, and graduated in 1971 with a major in Speech Communications and a passion for the stage nurtured in Purdue’s own Experimental Theatre. He set his sights on Broadway and headed for New York, where he quickly decided to pursue a career in theatre management. Starting out in Brooklyn at the Chelsea Theater Center, he moved from box office and subscription work to stage and house management, learning the front-of-the-house and backstage ropes. Once he knew them both, he made the transition into company management and total responsibility for the day-to-day functioning of entire productions: from providing bottled water to computing and paying salaries, from securing performer housing and transportation to negotiating cast contracts. In between jobs, he studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, honing his French-language fluency. He also fulfilled the requirements and sat for the comprehensive examination required for membership in ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers.

A list of his management credits includes the Paris production of Les Miserables for the legendary British producer Cameron Mackintosh; Patti LuPone’s one-woman show on Broadway, The Suicidewith Derek Jacoby of I, Claudius fame; the national companies of Wicked, Sunset Boulevard andDreamgirls; both Broadway and touring productions of Annie, La Cage aux Folles, Les Miserablesand The Phantom of the Opera; and a host of other star-studded shows. After a brief “retirement” to Maine he was warmly welcomed back to the theater and served for five years as the Associate General Manager of the Las Vegas “Spectacular” version of The Phantom of the Opera.  In 2011, he left Las Vegas to oversee the Australian production of Jersey Boys.

Andrews credits his Purdue education and experience with giving him the skills, vision and confidence to succeed in his chosen field. In addition to his grandfathers and uncle, two brothers, his sister, and a nephew and a niece have all graduated from Purdue, making his a true Boilermaker family.  Mark is extremely honored to be chosen to receive the prestigious Purdue Theatre Legacy Award.