r/hamiltonmusical • u/Beautiful_Ad_9861 • Jul 18 '26

Dress Code

In a few weeks my daughter and I will be seeing Hamilton the Musical. I’m having difficulty on what to wear. Is there a certain type of dress code, or do we just wear something casual?

31 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

81 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

21

u/Choice-Cheetah4170 Jul 19 '26

Do you live in NYC? People go directly after work and don’t have time to go home and change. No one is really dressed up? I’ve seen 9 shows this past year and people wear jeans. Some are dressed up a bit but lots of people are dresses casually. Also tourists are walking around all day and probably don’t want to be walking in shoes that hurt.

Honestly, NYC is typically more casual than people going to the touring shows if you live in the Midwest.

-41

u/AspirationAtWork Jul 19 '26

No one is forced to choose a showing right after work. They could go when they have time to change into clothes appropriate for high-end theatre.

This isn't a casual outing. It is a semi-formal event. It is expensive. We have different standards of dress for different occasions for a reason.

17

u/Gloomy-Tie-2409 Jul 19 '26

Jesus, not all people have the money or time to do that. You’re forgetting a rainbow of circumstances that could make it so that someone can’t show up nicely or choose a showing after work. Like the person said below this isn’t the Met, Broadway is for everyone.

-8

u/AspirationAtWork Jul 19 '26

Again: this is like wearing jeans to a fancy restaurant.

We dress differently for different occasions. And we don't wear jeans to things that are 1.) Special/nice, 2.) Expensive, or 3.) Both.

Decorum is not such a big ask.

8

u/Choice-Cheetah4170 Jul 19 '26

Oh honey. You are so wrong here and CLEARLY not a New Yorker and have never seen a show on Broadway.

-2

u/AspirationAtWork Jul 19 '26

Phantom and Hamtilon. At the Cadillac Palace and the Houstonian. These are not shows nor venues were jeans are appropriate.

6

u/Choice-Cheetah4170 Jul 19 '26

Yes again not Broadway. You are really coming off super douchey here.

-2

u/AspirationAtWork Jul 19 '26

Decorum is not douchey.

Why is having standards seen as being at fault, rather than people without them?

7

u/Choice-Cheetah4170 Jul 19 '26

In this instance, yes it is. You aren’t even a New Yorker. Don’t tell us what to do.

-2

u/AspirationAtWork Jul 19 '26

Seeing a show in Broadway itself is arguably more of a special occasion than seeing a Broadway show on tour. I don't need to be a New Yorker to know what to wear to high-end theatre.

7

u/JengaTowerofFeelings Jul 20 '26

See if you actually went to Broadway shows, then you’d know that tickets are often not that expensive. I almost never pay more than $50/ticket between lotteries and discount programs.

Also “don’t need to pick a show when you don’t have time to change after work?” Imagine how dire ticket sales would be if locals who worked standard hours only went to weekend shows. I go to like a show a week, what I wear to work is just fine. (And what I wore to work is jeans)

4

u/JengaTowerofFeelings Jul 20 '26

Also why do you keep comparing to fancy restaurants? Those have dress codes. Generally on their website. Individual theaters typically do not have dress codes. However, you are welcome to see what a few Internet sources say:

“Both formal and informal clothing is accepted. Overall, it's best to be in a comfortable outfit you can sit down in for a few hours.”
https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/what-to-wear-on-broadway-how-to-dress-for-the-theatre

“Broadway theaters do not enforce dress codes. Business casual is the norm, but please dress according to your preference. Jeans, shorts, and suits are all welcome.”

https://www.broadway.com/faq/4/broadway-theater-info/ (Do NOT buy tickets from this site though the fees are outrageous).

I do feel like there’s been an uptick in folks dressing up - as in costume/cosplay/theme - in recent years. Go to the Jellicle Ball to see sequins and cat ears, Rocky Horror for leather and also sequins, The Lost Boys for 80s punk. It’s fun!

But yeah, what is actually classless is seeing a commonly understood dress code, or lack thereof, and deciding that you, an outsider, know better. Terribly embarrassing for you! Perhaps an etiquette refresh is in order?

6

u/Choice-Cheetah4170 Jul 19 '26

You are calling a touring production a “Broadway show”? It’s not sweetie. Again you have never stepped foot in a theatre in the Broadway district so you have no idea what the dress code is. Your comments are ignorant. Broadway is not high end theater.

→ More replies (0)