How do you dress for a Broadway Show

[cornflake]

Actually, I grew up here as did many of my family and friends. We all tend to dress nicer for a Broadway show, we grew up doing so and continue. I also do the same seeing a performance at Lincoln Center.

This. It's the tourists who are mostly in the casual wear (most people I know going to the theatre [I mean people I know who live here]) either get dressed to go out for the evening or they're going from work, so they're nicely dressed either way.

I've wondered why the tourists tend toward the beyond casual before, the 'they don't dress for community theatre' thing, I suppose but...why wouldn't they dress nicely to go to the theatre even if it's a smaller venue? Nevermind that now, they know where they're going so why wouldn't you bring something nice to go out for the evening to nice places?

As above, at the ballet and opera, which tend to attract mostly locals (dunno why that either. heh), the crowd is MUCH better dressed. Kids are pretty much all properly dressed for a show (party-level dresses, mary janes, suits or button-downs at the least), adults in nice stuff, etc.

 

[AllisonK]

I go to shows pretty often (I used to go to school about 45 minutes outside the city and go in for the day every few months).Usually I'll wear nice jeans and a nice top/cardigan with nicer shoes. If I'm going for a special occasion I'll wear a dress or skirt. (I'm seeing Evita on Wednesday night as a late birthday present to myself/to see a friend perform and I'm wearing a wraparound dress with nice wedge sandals)

 

[KristaTX]

It's the B & T folks who dress up....

I am not a B & T person.

What's a B & T person? I've looked through this thread 3 times and I still can't find it. I'm sure I just don't see the words you are talking about.

 

[bellanotte10]

I saw death of a salesman about 2 weeks ago and everyone was dressy casual. I think I only saw one person in jeans...

 

[cornflake]

What's a B & T person? I've looked through this thread 3 times and I still can't find it. I'm sure I just don't see the words you are talking about.

Bridge and Tunnel - people from Long Island and Jersey who come into the City.

 

[englishteacha]

I dress nicely for the theater. I even get a bit dressed up for local summer stock theater. It's a night out, usually a date with my husband, and I want to look nice. A group of 8 of us went to see a show a few summers ago and all dressed up...suits for the guys, nice dresses for the ladies...it was fun and we did look fabulous. I will say climbing to the top row of the balcony in heels is kind of unpleasant, though!

 

[tinatark]

I agree with the posters who say dress nicely - don't wear jeans or shorts!

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I do dressy casual for the theater.

 

[JenM]

I rollerbladed across the lobby of a Broadway show once...

 

[Erin1700]

I saw a Sunday matinee of newsies and most of the people were dressed nicely. Hardly any jeans.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

While I have never been to NY to see the plays there, we do see several of them that travel though our city. The last one I saw was Wicked and we did see some people in jeans, but most everyone was dressed up a little. The plays that we attend at the college are a little more casual, but we still don't wear jeans.

I just think its fun to get dressed up and go out for a nice dinner, and then to a play.

 

[minijeanie]

We just saw newsies last week. GREAT SHOW!! I was dressed in a business suit, because I left straight from work. DH was in jean shorts and a T shirt, and the DD's wore sun dresses. As you can imagine, their is no dress code. Some people like to dress up for the evening. We went to BBQ's for dinner, so their was no fancy eating for us!

That is so funny and mmmm and I like that restaurant BBQ...Newsies didn't seem to thrill me when I seen the commercials but it is up for numerous tony's.. Glad you had fun!

 

[marcyinPA]

I think jeans are do-able if you have a nice dressy pair (dark in color) with a pair of stylish shoes. I wouldn't wear my gardening jeans!

If you plan on walking around the city first, though- make sure you wear some comfortable shoes. I made that mistake once- only once. My feet were killing me- all in the name of style.

 

[disney1990]

I love dressing up when going to a show. However, the last few times we have been, we have taken a 4 hour train trip to NY, walked around, saw the show, and took the train back home. Can't do any better than pants and comfortable shoes on those occasions.

 

[aprilgail2]

I dress nicely. I believe certain activities merit something beyond what I'd wear to Home Depot and the theater is one of them. To me, the theater is special. It's not going to the movies or the grocery store.

we go to the theater a lot-- to me its about the same as going to the movies- we wear jeans all the time there. We usually spend the day in Central Park or at a museum then grab some dinner then go to a show-never get dressed up nor do most people I see there.

 

[cornflake]

we go to the theater a lot-- to me its about the same as going to the movies- we wear jeans all the time there. We usually spend the day in Central Park or at a museum then grab some dinner then go to a show-never get dressed up nor do most people I see there.

I don't even know what to say really... it's about the same as going to the movies? Live theatre?

Aside from that, for many people, a $75-125+ per ticket event is not a casual, every day ($12 a ticket movie) night out, and personally, I think there's a level of respect for the occasion that merits more than the touristwear jean/sneaker thing, it's not a movie.

A movie is just there. It'll be rerun 50x that week, it's tape, everyone, everywhere sees the same thing.

A theatre performance is a singular thing. It happens once. The show will be repeated by the same and different actors, but it's different every time because it's actual actors, interacting with the audience and each other that day, that time, etc. I think it's basically disrespectful to the actors to even think of it like a movie, nevermind to go in whatever as if it's nothing.

I mean whatever, yes, there are some people who dress beyond casually though like most of the thread, I absolutely disagree that it's most of the crowd (depending on the show). However, I generally assumed most who show up looking like that just don't know any better; it never occured to me people were somehow equating it to going to the movies.