Is there a dress code for the matinee vs night for men. For example if we are going to museums all morning and then taking kids to a matinee, can men wear casual shorts and a polo shirt?
Thanks, Sheila
As is the way of things, standards have slid, and there isn't really a strict dress code for Broadway anymore. The short answer is that, if a guy were to show up for a matinee show in shorts and a tee-shirt, he wouldn't be turned away. (We saw a guy in an Iowa State sweatshirt at the Philharmonic a few months ago; inappropriate, we think, since most wear their Sunday best to functions like that, but as long as you're not naked, they'll let you see the show.)
If it were up to us, though, pants (khakis or otherwise, but not jeans or shorts) and the polo shirt would be the way to go. It is the theater, after all. Show it some respect.
Matinee shows generally are a little more casual, so no need to put on a tie.
Related: Ask Gothamist on Broadway fashion.
