62 shows opened on Broadway and in the West End in 1981.

Opened in 1981

UndatedJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Undated: 3 openings

	Barnum London
	The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas 1983 Theatre Royal, Drury LaneLondon
	The Sound of Music Apollo Victoria TheatreLondon

January: 7 openings

January 4, 1981	Frankenstein Palace TheatreBroadway	1 perf.
January 8, 1981	The Pirates Of Penzance Uris TheatreBroadway	772 perf.
January 14, 1981	Emlyn Williams as Charles Dickens Century TheatreBroadway	22 perf.
January 15, 1981	To Grandmother's House We Go Biltmore TheatreBroadway	61 perf.
January 21, 1981	Shakespeare's Cabaret Bijou TheatreBroadway	54 perf.
January 22, 1981	Macbeth Vivian Beaumont TheaterBroadway	61 perf.
January 28, 1981	The Five O'Clock Girl Helen Hayes TheatreBroadway	14 perf.

February: 2 openings

February 5, 1981	Piaf Plymouth TheatreBroadway	165 perf.
February 23, 1981	Heartland Century TheatreBroadway	24 perf.

March: 7 openings

March 1, 1981	Sophisticated Ladies Lunt-Fontanne TheatreBroadway	767 perf.
March 3, 1981	The Survivor Morosco TheatreBroadway	8 perf.
March 5, 1981	Bring Back Birdie Martin Beck TheatreBroadway	4 perf.
March 15, 1981	Broadway Follies Nederlander TheatreBroadway	1 perf.
March 19, 1981	Lolita Brooks Atkinson TheatreBroadway	12 perf.
March 26, 1981	Rose Cort TheatreBroadway	68 perf.
March 29, 1981	Woman of the Year Palace TheatreBroadway	770 perf.

April: 7 openings

April 2, 1981	The Father Circle In The Square TheatreBroadway	29 perf.
April 6, 1981	Fools Eugene Oneill TheatreBroadway	40 perf.
April 9, 1981	Aaah Oui Genty! Bijou TheatreBroadway	29 perf.
April 13, 1981	Copperfield Anta PlayhouseBroadway	13 perf.
April 22, 1981	Animals Princess TheatreBroadway	1 perf.
April 27, 1981	The Floating Light Bulb Vivian Beaumont TheaterBroadway	65 perf.
April 30, 1981	Can-Can Minskoff TheatreBroadway	5 perf.

May: 9 openings

May 3, 1981	The Moony Shapiro Songbook Morosco TheatreBroadway	1 perf.
May 5, 1981	Passionate Ladies Bijou TheatreBroadway	8 perf.
May 6, 1981	Inacent Black Biltmore TheatreBroadway	14 perf.
May 7, 1981	The Little Foxes Martin Beck TheatreBroadway	126 perf.
May 10, 1981	I Won't Dance Helen Hayes TheatreBroadway	1 perf.
May 10, 1981	It Had to Be You John Golden TheatreBroadway	48 perf.
May 11, 1981	Cats London
May 12, 1981	Lena Horne: "The Lady and Her Music" Nederlander TheatreBroadway	333 perf.
May 13, 1981	St. Mark's Gospel Playhouse TheatreBroadway	22 perf.

June: 4 openings

June 12, 1981	Wally's Cafe Brooks Atkinson TheatreBroadway	12 perf.
June 23, 1981	This Was Burlesque Princess TheatreBroadway	28 perf.
June 24, 1981	A Taste of Honey Century TheatreBroadway	157 perf.
June 25, 1981	Scenes and Revelations Circle In The Square TheatreBroadway	29 perf.

July: 1 opening

July 9, 1981

Fiddler on the Roof New York State TheatreBroadway

53 perf.

August: 2 openings

August 6, 1981	The Supporting Cast Biltmore TheatreBroadway	36 perf.
August 18, 1981	My Fair Lady Uris TheatreBroadway	119 perf.

September: 2 openings

September 20, 1981	An Evening With Dave Allen Booth TheatreBroadway	29 perf.
September 22, 1981	Twyla Tharp Dance Winter Garden TheatreBroadway	28 perf.

October: 5 openings

October 1, 1981	A Talent for Murder Biltmore TheatreBroadway	77 perf.
October 4, 1981	The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Plymouth TheatreBroadway	49 perf.
October 12, 1981	Marlowe Rialto TheatreBroadway	48 perf.
October 15, 1981	Candida Circle In The Square TheatreBroadway	91 perf.
October 29, 1981	Einstein and the Polar Bear Cort TheatreBroadway	4 perf.

November: 9 openings

November 4, 1981	Crimes of the Heart John Golden TheatreBroadway	535 perf.
November 8, 1981	Ned and Jack Little TheatreBroadway	1 perf.
November 9, 1981	The Dresser Brooks Atkinson TheatreBroadway	200 perf.
November 10, 1981	Oh, Brother! Anta PlayhouseBroadway	3 perf.
November 12, 1981	Mass Appeal Booth TheatreBroadway	212 perf.
November 15, 1981	Camelot Winter Garden TheatreBroadway	48 perf.
November 16, 1981	Merrily We Roll Along Alvin TheatreBroadway	16 perf.
November 17, 1981	The First Martin Beck TheatreBroadway	31 perf.
November 19, 1981	The West Side Waltz Ethel Barrymore TheatreBroadway	126 perf.

December: 4 openings

December 10, 1981	Grown Ups Lyceum TheatreBroadway	83 perf.
December 13, 1981	Kingdoms Cort TheatreBroadway	17 perf.
December 17, 1981	Duet for One Royale TheatreBroadway	20 perf.
December 20, 1981	Dreamgirls Imperial TheatreBroadway	1,521 perf.

Closed in 1981

January 3, 1981	A Life Morosco Theatre, opened 1980	64 run
January 3, 1981	Mixed Couples Brooks Atkinson Theatre, opened 1980	9 run
January 4, 1981	Home Cort Theatre, opened 1980	278 run
January 4, 1981	Peter Pan Lunt Fontanne Theatre, opened 1979	554 run
January 4, 1981	The Philadelphia Story Vivian Beaumont Theater, opened 1980	60 run
January 11, 1981	I Ought to Be in Pictures Eugene Oneill Theatre, opened 1980	324 run
January 11, 1981	Tintypes John Golden Theatre, opened 1980	93 run
February 8, 1981	A Lesson From Aloes Playhouse Theatre, opened 1980	96 run
February 8, 1981	Brigadoon Majestic Theatre, opened 1980	133 run
February 8, 1981	John Gabriel Borkman Circle In The Square Theatre, opened 1980	61 run
June 28, 1981	Lunch Hour Ethel Barrymore Theatre, opened 1980	262 run
June 28, 1981	The Elephant Man Booth Theatre, opened 1979	916 run
August 16, 1981	Morning's at Seven Lyceum Theatre, opened 1980	564 run
September 6, 1981	Gemini Little Theatre, opened 1977	1,819 run
September 6, 1981	They’re Playing Our Song Imperial Theatre, opened 1979	1,082 run
September 27, 1981	A Day in Hollywood/ A Night in the Ukraine John Golden Theatre, opened 1980	588 run