Kennedy Center Dress Code?

I know that for evening performances, there's a jacket/tie dress code, but would it be the same for a Saturday matinee? I'm going to see Les Mis on Saturday, and I've looked through the boards and on the internet, but can't seem to find if there's a difference between matinees/evenings and weekdays/weekends.

Mostly it was information I found on the internet, though someone put it in my head that the Kennedy Center was fancier dress than a regular Broadway show. Thanks for the tips, though.

It is "classier" at the KC than at a Broadway show - most guys in a sport coat or blazer, women in nice pants and top or a dress. It's nice. I wish Broadway theatre was more like this.

I'm not sure if going to a Broadway show is a proper comparison with seeing something at the Kennedy Center (even if it is a musical theatre piece like "Les Miz") with respect to the dress code.

I'd say seeing something at either Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center (esp. Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall) where the dress code skews toward business casual and more formal attire would be a more proper comparison with seeing something at the Kennedy Center and the attendant dress code.

It really depends but I'd say if you're seeing something at the Kennedy Center, err on the side of dressing in business casual attire. But if you're seeing something at, let's say, Arena Stage (a gorgeous venue BTW), I found that folks who saw "Oklahoma!" there pretty much dressed the same way as folks who would watch, for example, "Mary Poppins" in New York do.

The last two times I was at the KC, I wore shorts and a t-shirt and felt just fine about it. So, unless you're really bothered by what complete strangers might think of your choice -- and I am not, though I hasten to add that I also noticed no disapproving looks my way -- you should wear whatever you're most comfortable in.

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We are travelling to D.C. Saturday night to see Sunday's two performances of Les Miserables. We were planning to wear our Les Miz hats, sweats, wristwatches, jackets and sneakers.

Any suggestions for what to do and where to eat between shows?


p.s. Mostly true, except that the sneakers are just plain ordinary sneakers, not Les Miz branded.

pps: Our seats for one of the performances are Tier 1, second row. Should we bring our Les Miz binoculars?

^ Agreed...you might get looks, but something tells me that that is exactly what you're looking for


That said, most people won't be wearing t-shirts and jeans at your performance (if my attendance of Lucia, Tosca, Follies, and Vanya are any indication...). If that don't bother you: don't sweet it!

LOVES IT!

That said...no binoculars needed from tier 1...especially up front.

I tend to like to wear a daytime dress (like a sundress) when I go to things at the Kennedy Center, and most people have been dressed similarly. I personally wouldn't wear jeans and a t-shirt there, but err toward business casual or something like it. Just a *little* more formal than super casual, basically.