HGO Spotlight on: Costume Director Norma Cortez

Sewing has been a part of Norma Cortez’s life since her earliest days growing up in Houston. Her mom, Mercedes Ramirez, supported the family as a seamstress. Whether it was clothes for neighbors that needed alterations or homemade apparel, she was always making something, and Norma and her siblings would always help out. Norma remembers wearing dresses made from extra fabric her mom had, and she and her sister “being dressed like the sofa.” In another memory, the girls won their school’s Halloween competition with devil outfits—made by her mom, of course.

Although Mercedes always said Norma was her “best helper,” Norma never thought she herself would go into the same business. She just wanted to help out her mom. But later in life, fate brought her back to the sewing machine. It was 1998, and her sister Myrna had gotten a job at HGO as a stitcher. The shop was building costumes for a new opera called Resurrection, and the team needed stitchers. Norma took the job, expecting to work for the company for a month.

Twenty-seven years later, she’s still here—and so is Mercedes! And it’s a true family affair: Mercedes, now 79 years old and part-time, has been a draper with the company since 2005. For the past 19 years, Norma has served as the company’s Costume Director, supervising a team of 19 including her mom and sister. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here’s Norma on her life and career, in her own words: 

I had no idea where life was going to take me, and I never thought of being a stitcher or even working in a costume shop—I wanted to be an actress. I was obsessed with telenovelas as a kid and loved Salma Hayek! I loved the drama, suspense, and romance which is really what happens in a lot of operas. But I never thought I would be working for an opera company. I officially joined the HGO team in January of 1999. I had just quit my administrative job and was trying to figure out my next move, especially with having two kids. It wasn’t long until I was contracted for 30 days, and I have loved every moment since.

As Costume Director, I oversee all production budgets, builds, the beginning of every mount, principal fittings, labor, and final decisions. I’m also the eye that catches those small details.  When we're in the theater and having to observe rehearsals, I'm in the dressing rooms making sure that everything is fitting correctly with the singers, especially with the lead artists. I sit down in the house, look at the big picture, and start taking notes. It's like, okay, any detail—is there anything wrong? Does it look good?

Working with my family has been amazing. I have been their supervisor for 19 years. That has been a different kind of learning experience—to supervise them, and also to treat them equally with the rest of my team. It is a blessing to have them here at work. Being able to just come up with ideas with them is invaluable.

I did not know, until I worked here, how grand the opera is. I had never heard an opera before. But I learned to love opera. One of my favorite operas has to be the mariachi opera Cruzar de la Luna—it has a special place in my heart since I was born in Mexico, and my mom was raised there. We were interviewed by the director Leonard Foglia about our experience coming to the U.S., and what home means to us. It was incredible to be part of not only the design, but the writing process as well. That show is really close to my heart. The other has to be La traviata, because it really confirmed my love of opera. 

A word that describes me is “adaptable.” Let's say that we're building a new show, and the main cast member changes last minute. It could be a totally different body size. You have to flip it around really quickly. So that’s an example of a big challenge. It's up to you to figure it out—and you know what? We know what we're doing. It will be done.  

HGO has done an amazing job—whatever it can—to keep growing. We are all part of it, and we all make a show successful. Like [HGO General Director and CEO] Khori Dastoor says, the productions are not just the singers, not just the orchestra, not just the part that you see on stage. It's everyone else, too. It's a team effort. It's a big company, and I feel very proud to be working here.

I love my job. Yes, you encounter challenges, sometimes personalities, all of the things. But I have not gotten bored of what I do. And it's been 27 years. It is fun, very stressful fun. And it's rewarding. Sitting in the last dress rehearsal, coming to see it with my husband and showing him what we did—that for me is the best.