1978
50 shows opened on Broadway and in the West End in 1978.
Broadway opened just 48 shows in 1978, and even those didn't last: half of those runs closed within 48 performances. Deathtrap, by Ira Levin, broke that pattern, running 1,793 performances, 37.4 times the median.
Deathtrap, by Ira Levin, opened February 26, 1978 at Music Box Theatre and ran 1,793 performances.
Opened in 1978
UndatedJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Undated: 2 openings
| Annie Victoria Palace TheatreLondon | ||
| The Rear Column by Simon Gray Gielgud TheatreLondon |
January: 5 openings
| January 9, 1978 | Do You Turn Somersaults? 46th Street TheatreBroadway | 16 perf. |
| January 14, 1978 | The November People Billy Rose TheatreBroadway | 1 perf. |
| January 15, 1978 | Cheaters Biltmore TheatreBroadway | 33 perf. |
| January 19, 1978 | Paul Robeson Lunt Fontanne TheatreBroadway | 77 perf. |
| January 31, 1978 | Elvis: The Legend Lives! Palace TheatreBroadway | 101 perf. |
February: 3 openings
| February 19, 1978 | On the Twentieth Century St. James TheatreBroadway | 449 perf. |
| February 26, 1978 | Deathtrap Music Box TheatreBroadway | 1,793 perf. |
| February 28, 1978 | The Water Engine / Mr. Happiness Plymouth TheatreBroadway | 24 perf. |
March: 7 openings
| March 1, 1978 | Timbuktu! Mark Hellinger TheatreBroadway | 221 perf. |
| March 5, 1978 | Hello, Dolly! Lunt Fontanne TheatreBroadway | 147 perf. |
| March 14, 1978 | The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Biltmore TheatreBroadway | 16 perf. |
| March 16, 1978 | 13 Rue de l'Amour Circle In The Square TheatreBroadway | 77 perf. |
| March 19, 1978 | Stages Belasco TheatreBroadway | 1 perf. |
| March 27, 1978 | Dancin' Broadhurst TheatreBroadway | 1,774 perf. |
| March 30, 1978 | A History of the American Film ANTA TheatreBroadway | 5 perf. |
April: 6 openings
| April 10, 1978 | Eliot Feld Ballet Plymouth TheatreBroadway | |
| April 11, 1978 | Murray Louis Dance Company Minskoff TheatreBroadway | |
| April 12, 1978 | Diversions and Delights Eugene Oneill TheatreBroadway | 13 perf. |
| April 13, 1978 | Patio / Porch Century TheatreBroadway | 21 perf. |
| April 16, 1978 | The Mighty Gents Ambassador TheatreBroadway | 9 perf. |
| April 18, 1978 | Dutch National Ballet Minskoff TheatreBroadway | 14 perf. |
May: 5 openings
| May 1, 1978 | Da Morosco TheatreBroadway | 697 perf. |
| May 9, 1978 | Ain't Misbehavin' Longacre TheatreBroadway | 1,604 perf. |
| May 10, 1978 | Angel Minskoff TheatreBroadway | 5 perf. |
| May 13, 1978 | Runaways Plymouth TheatreBroadway | 274 perf. |
| May 14, 1978 | Working 46th Street TheatreBroadway | 24 perf. |
June: 4 openings
| June 1, 1978 | Tribute Brooks Atkinson TheatreBroadway | 212 perf. |
| June 14, 1978 | The American Dance Machine Century TheatreBroadway | 199 perf. |
| June 15, 1978 | Once in a Lifetime Circle In The Square TheatreBroadway | 85 perf. |
| June 19, 1978 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Entermedia TheatreOff-Broadway | 1,584 perf. |
August: 1 opening
| August 3, 1978 | Stop the World- I Want to Get Off New York State TheatreBroadway | 30 perf. |
September: 4 openings
| September 6, 1978 | Players Lyceum TheatreBroadway | 23 perf. |
| September 20, 1978 | Eubie! Ambassador TheatreBroadway | 439 perf. |
| September 21, 1978 | The Inspector General Circle In The Square TheatreBroadway | 69 perf. |
| September 28, 1978 | The Crucifer of Blood Helen Hayes TheatreBroadway | 236 perf. |
October: 4 openings
| October 3, 1978 | First Monday in October Majestic TheatreBroadway | 79 perf. |
| October 22, 1978 | King of Hearts Minskoff TheatreBroadway | 48 perf. |
| October 24, 1978 | St. Mark's Gospel Playhouse TheatreBroadway | 18 perf. |
| October 30, 1978 | Gorey Stories Booth TheatreBroadway | 1 perf. |
November: 2 openings
| November 12, 1978 | Platinum Mark Hellinger TheatreBroadway | 33 perf. |
| November 16, 1978 | The Playboy of the Weekend World Playhouse TheatreBroadway | 29 perf. |
December: 7 openings
| December 3, 1978 | The Neighborhood Playhouse at 50 Shubert TheatreBroadway | |
| December 6, 1978 | The Kingfisher Biltmore TheatreBroadway | 181 perf. |
| December 14, 1978 | Ballroom Majestic TheatreBroadway | 116 perf. |
| December 14, 1978 | Man and Superman Circle In The Square TheatreBroadway | 77 perf. |
| December 19, 1978 | Icedancing Minskoff TheatreBroadway | 16 perf. |
| December 21, 1978 | A Broadway Musical Lunt-Fontanne TheatreBroadway | 1 perf. |
| December 28, 1978 | Taxi Tales Century TheatreBroadway | 6 perf. |
Closed in 1978
| January 1, 1978 | Miss Margarida's Way Ambassador Theatre, opened 1977 | 98 run |
| January 1, 1978 | Your Arms Too Short to Box With God Lyceum Theatre, opened 1976 | 429 run |
| January 28, 1978 | An Almost Perfect Person Belasco Theatre, opened 1977 | 108 run |
| February 12, 1978 | Jesus Christ Superstar Longacre Theatre, opened 1977 | 96 run |
| February 16, 1978 | Golda Morosco Theatre, opened 1977 | 93 run |
| February 19, 1978 | Saint Joan Circle In The Square Theatre, opened 1977 | 77 run |
| February 19, 1978 | Sly Fox Broadhurst Theatre, opened 1976 | 495 run |
| March 19, 1978 | Side by Side by Sondheim Music Box Theatre, opened 1977 | 384 run |
| April 30, 1978 | A Touch of the Poet Helen Hayes Theatre, opened 1977 | 141 run |
| June 4, 1978 | Cold Storage Lyceum Theatre, opened 1977 | 180 run |
| July 1, 1978 | The Act Majestic Theatre, opened 1977 | 233 run |
| July 16, 1978 | for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf Booth Theatre, opened 1976 | 742 run |
| September 3, 1978 | Same Time, Next Year Brooks Atkinson Theatre, opened 1975 | 1,453 run |
| October 30, 1978 | The Runner Stumbles Little Theatre, opened 1976 | 396 run |
| December 30, 1978 | The King and I Uris Theatre, opened 1977 | 695 run |
| December 31, 1978 | The Gin Game John Golden Theatre, opened 1977 | 517 run |
| December 31, 1978 | The Magic Show Cort Theatre, opened 1974 | 1,920 run |