Suzi Gomez-Pizzo ’83 Retires After 18 Years at The Met
As the principal women wardrobe supervisor, Gomez-Pizzo earned a stellar reputation dressing and supporting the stars.
Referred to as The Metropolitan Opera’s “diva whisperer,” Gomez-Pizzo earned the trust of the female leads she dressed for both her skills and demeanor.
Known for her role as a “calm troubleshooter with a knack for defusing last-minute sartorial snafus,” Gomez-Pizzo’s unflappable support of the singers at their most vulnerable, the final seconds before they step on stage, was her superpower.
The Met’s general manager, Peter Gelb, describes her as “the head of a Formula 1 pit crew” and a “backstage psychiatrist.”
Born and raised in Harlem, Gomez-Pizzo got her start at The Met working in the costume shop right after graduation, then joined the Alvin Ailey dance company as a wardrobe supervisor before moving onto Broadway. She returned to The Met in 2007.
Read more from the New York Times.
See Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and Suzi-Gomez-Pizzo discuss the frenzy of costume changes during the Live in HD transmission of Marnie.