In 1980, between her albums Mad Love and Get Closer, Linda Ronstadt decided her next challenge would be live theater. The soprano didn’t make it easy on herself, taking on the challenging role of Mabel in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.

Opposite Kevin Kline and Rex Smith, she made her Broadway debut to rave reviews, eventually earning a Tony nomination for Lead Actress in a Musical. The show ran on Broadway for nearly two years and was made into a feature film, for which Ronstadt was nominated for a Golden Globe.

The idea of the singer of ‘You’re No Good’ and ‘Blue Bayou’ walking onstage and delivering the light opera of The Pirates of Penzance is mind-boggling. Try to picture any of today’s most celebrated pop stars pulling this off and you’ll begin to understand the unique talent of Linda Ronstadt.