Editing Linda Ronstadt (section)

==== From rock to operetta ====
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| quote=Rampant eclecticism is my middle name.|source=—Linda Ronstadt<ref name=Windy />}}
[[File:19810800-05-LindaRonstadt.jpg|left|thumb|Linda Ronstadt at Six Flags Over Texas, August 1981.]]
In February 1980, Ronstadt released ''[[Mad Love (Linda Ronstadt album)|Mad Love]]'', her seventh consecutive platinum-selling album. It was a straightforward rock and roll album with post-punk, new wave influences, including tracks by songwriters such as Elvis Costello, [[the Cretones]], and musician [[Mark Goldenberg]] who played on the record himself. As part of the album's promotion, a live concert was recorded for an HBO special in April. A partial soundtrack for this special (omitting most of the ''Mad Love'' tracks) was released as her first official live album in February 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 9, 2019 |title=Years after giving up singing, Linda Ronstadt is back on the charts with 'Live in Hollywood' |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-linda-ronstadt-live-hollywood-parkinsons-20190209-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715225124/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-linda-ronstadt-live-hollywood-parkinsons-20190209-story.html |archive-date=July 15, 2019 |access-date=July 15, 2019 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

She also made the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' for a record-setting sixth time. ''Mad Love'' entered the ''Billboard'' Album Chart in the Top Five its first week (a record at that time) and climbed to the number 3 position. The project continued her streak of Top 10 hits with "[[How Do I Make You]]", originally recorded by [[Billy Thermal]], and "[[Hurt So Bad]]", originally a Top 10 hit for [[Little Anthony & the Imperials]]. The album earned Ronstadt a 1980 [[Grammy Award]] nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance|Best Rock Vocal Performance/Female]] (although she lost to [[Pat Benatar]]'s ''[[Crimes of Passion (Pat Benatar album)|Crimes of Passion]]'' album). Benatar praised Ronstadt by stating, "There are a lot of good female singers around. How could I be the best? Ronstadt is still alive!"<ref name="recordreview">{{Cite web |title=Pat Benatar: Rock's Reluctant Sex Symbol |url=http://www.lemuseumdebenatar.com/vintage4.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928040922/http://www.lemuseumdebenatar.com/vintage4.html |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |access-date=July 5, 2007 |website=Record Review, December 1980}}</ref>

In the summer of 1980, Ronstadt began rehearsals for the first of several leads in Broadway musicals. [[Joseph Papp]] cast her as the lead in the [[New York Shakespeare Festival]] production of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]'s ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'', alongside [[Kevin Kline]].<ref name="Pirates">{{Cite web |date=September 1981 |title=Rock Queen Conquers Broadway and Lives Happily Ever After |url=http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/arthp81.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927184223/http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/arthp81.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |access-date=May 8, 2007 |website=Hit Parader}}</ref> She said singing Gilbert and Sullivan was a natural choice for her, since her grandfather Fred Ronstadt was credited with having created [[Tucson]]'s first orchestra, the ''Club Filarmonico Tucsonense'', and had once created an arrangement of ''The Pirates of Penzance''.<ref name=AARP-07 />

''The Pirates of Penzance'' opened for a limited engagement in New York City's [[Central Park]], eventually moving its production to Broadway, where it became a hit, running from January 8, 1981, to November 28, 1982.<ref name="imbd">{{Cite web |title=Linda Ronstadt |url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=58306 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015170003/http://ibdb.com/person.asp?id=58306 |archive-date=October 15, 2007 |access-date=May 8, 2007 |publisher=[[Internet Broadway Database]]}}http://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/58306 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321105056/http://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/58306 |date=March 21, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Newsweek]]'' was effusive in its praise: "... she has not dodged the [[coloratura]] demands of her role (and Mabel is one of the most demanding parts in the G&S canon): from her entrance trilling 'Poor Wand'ring One,' it is clear that she is prepared to scale whatever soprano peaks stand in her way."<ref name=bronson /> Ronstadt co-starred with Kline and [[Angela Lansbury]] in the 1983 operetta's film version; this was her only acting role in a motion picture (her other film appearances, such as in the 1978 drama, ''[[FM (film)|FM]]'', being concert footage as herself). Ronstadt received a [[Golden Globe]] nomination for the role in the film version. She garnered a nomination for the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical]] and ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' won several Tony Awards, including a [[Tony Award for Best Revival]].

As a child, Ronstadt had discovered the opera ''[[La bohème]]'' through the silent film with [[Lillian Gish]] and was determined to someday play the part of Mimi. When she met the opera superstar [[Beverly Sills]], she was told, ''"My dear, ''every'' soprano in the world wants to play Mimi!"'' In 1984, Ronstadt was cast in the role at Joseph Papp's [[Public Theater]]. However, the production was a critical and commercial disaster, closing after only a few nights.<ref name="Mimi">{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Jack |date=December 10, 1984 |title=A Pop Star Goes Puccini |url=http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/artnw84.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927184423/http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/artnw84.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |access-date=May 8, 2007 |website=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref>

In 1982, Ronstadt released the album ''[[Get Closer (Linda Ronstadt album)|Get Closer]]'', a primarily rock album with some country and pop music as well. It remains her only album between 1975 and 1990 not to be officially certified platinum. It peaked at number 31 on the ''Billboard'' Album Chart. The release continued her streak of Top 40 hits with "Get Closer" and "[[I Knew You When (Billy Joe Royal song)|I Knew You When]]"{{snds}}a 1965 hit by [[Billy Joe Royal]]{{snds}}while the [[Jimmy Webb]] song "Easy For You To Say" was a surprise Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit in the spring of 1983. "Sometimes You Just Can't Win" was picked up by country radio, and made it to number 27 on that listing. Ronstadt also filmed several music videos for this album which became popular on the fledgling MTV cable channel. The album earned Ronstadt two Grammy Award nominations: one for Best Rock Vocal Performance/Female for the title track and another for Best Pop Vocal Performance/Female for the album. The artwork won its art director, Kosh, his second Grammy Award for [[Grammy Award for Best Recording Package|Best Album Package]].

Along with the release of her ''Get Closer'' album, Ronstadt embarked on a North American tour, remaining one of the top rock-concert draws that summer and fall. On November 25, 1982, her "Happy Thanksgiving Day" concert was held at the [[Reunion Arena]] in Dallas and broadcast live via satellite to [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]] radio stations in the United States.<ref name="dallas">{{Cite magazine |year=1982 |title=Linda Ronstadt Live. On Radio [advertisement] |url=http://www.lindaronstadt.com/files/scans/1982_dallas_radio_concert.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128102836/http://www.lindaronstadt.com/files/scans/1982_dallas_radio_concert.jpg |archive-date=November 28, 2007 |access-date=November 4, 2007 |magazine=Billboard |publisher=The Source (NBC)}}</ref>

In 1988, Ronstadt returned to Broadway for a limited-run engagement in the musical show adaptation of her album celebrating her Mexican heritage, ''Canciones De Mi Padre{{snds}}A Romantic Evening in Old Mexico''.<ref name="imbd2">{{Cite web |title=Linda Ronstadt's Canciones |url=http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4514 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713233420/http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=4514 |archive-date=July 13, 2007 |access-date=May 8, 2007 |publisher=[[Internet Broadway Database]]}}http://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/58306 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321105056/http://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/58306 |date=March 21, 2016}}</ref>