LA Splash - Highly Recommended
"...Written and performed by Romy Nordlinger, GARDEN OF ALLA brings the trailblazing and scandalous Alla Nazimova’s world to life. Following critically acclaimed productions throughout the U.S. and internationally, GARDEN OF ALLA arrives in Los Angeles – only miles from Nazimova’s famous mansion termed the “Camelot of Hollywood” in its heyday – now a strip mall and parking lot. To quote “All About Solo,” GARDEN OF ALLA is “a spellbinding homage to an oft-forgotten trailblazer…a remarkable solo show.”"
On Stage Los Angeles - Somewhat Recommended
"...Certainly, holding stage for almost an hour and a half is an impressive tour de force. A raft of glorious reviews notwithstanding, we get the story, but it seemed to me that the soul of Nazimova may be waiting in the wings."
Night Tinted Glasses - Recommended
"...Which means I liked it. But I wanted to love it. Not because of the acting nor the directing (kudos to Lorca Peress btw). Rather, the script eventually doesn't allow Nazimova to be vulnerable, to metaphorically bleed, to drop her veil. It simply is a very entertaining trip through some of the highlights of a wildly interesting and talented life, full of passion and pain, triumph and collapse. But we only wade in a little, not dive into it all and swim with her."
Stage Raw - Highly Recommended
"...Those previously familiar with Nazimova are aware that she became a controversial figure in Los Angeles, working under a male pseudonym, and this is probably the main reason why she has been forgotten. Yet her spirit would arguably resonate with audiences now more than ever."
Haines His Way - Recommended
"...The production owes a lot to the video design & key art of Adam Jesse Burns and the score and sound design of Nick T. Moore. But it is Nordlinger’s acting that takes center stage, playing Alla from child to star, often playing scenes opposite other characters such as her abusive father and Broadway producer Lee Schubert, under the tight direction of Lorca Peress."
Its Not About Me - Somewhat Recommended
"...Nordlinger wrote the script herself, so perhaps Garden of Alla would benefit from an outside eye helping to fix some of the issues with it. For example, the long section about her being born and growing up are super-confusing; Lou and I had no idea what was going on. At one point, she said that, as a child, she came home one day to find her mother gone, and then a minute or two later, she was saying something about her mother being at an event with her. We could not figure out what any of that is about."
Glamgical - Recommended
"...Considered a trailblazer, Alla Nazimova left her mark in Hollywood as a performer of humble beginnings. She rose to fame as an actress, made tons of money, and lost most of it along the way. Romy Nordlinger created this solo show to feature one of the most enigmatic figures to ever act in Hollywood. Nordlinger starts by narrating Nazimova's difficult beginnings during the last period of the Imperial Russia."
The Hollywood Times - Highly Recommended
"...Nordlinger has composed a fascinating history lesson of Alla Nazimova, a vibrant, extraordinary talent born in 1879, who fled an abusive childhood in Russia to study with Stanislovski, performing at the famed Moscow Art Theatre before coming to America and taking first Broadway, then Hollywood by storm. Yet few know of Nazimova today. "An artist only dies when no one is left who remembers them." In her one-woman show, Nordlinger won't let anyone forget the unique force of nature that was Nazimova."
