PRESS

“GARDEN OF ALLA - THE NAZIMOVA STORY: BRILLIANT ONE-WOMAN THEATER”

“DASH DO NOT WALK, TO EXPERIENCE GARDEN OF ALLA: THE ALLA NAZIMOVA STORY.”

STAGE RAW TOP TEN - RECOMMENDED

“A masterfully illuminating experience. Succeeds in bringing Nazimova to life.”

“Directed by Lorca Peress, this production does not miss a beat and brings audiences in close. Video and graphics design by Adam Jesse Burns match with lighting design by Malcom Wilson, score and sound by Nick T. Moore; they all come together magnificently to establish an impressive space. 

Nordlinger’s performance is an example of dedication. She is an expert. Her writing gives us the history and the context in a personal and impressionable manner. It is storytelling with potential to bridge the gap between never learning about this great artist and making her story known as it should be. Nordlinger makes strong choices in physicality, embodying several people from Nazimova’s life, and her energy demonstrates the sort of excellent stage presence that the titular figure was known for.”

– Joseph Klink, Stage Raw

“EXQUISITE”

“Romy Nordlinger’s portrayal of this beautiful and phenomenal woman is utterly bewitching. She seems to channel her, the performance is so flawless. …Lyrical and poignant writing… Surely there can be nothing more ‘Hollywood’ than this story of an immigrant trailblazer, LGBTQ icon, and mysterious and courageous woman… an experience not to be missed.”

— Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros, NoHoArtsDistrict.com

“FOUR STARS. DON’T MISS THIS PRODUCTION.”

“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.

Nordlinger the writer has done a great job of researching Nazimova’s life and career. The joy of experiencing her play is discovering the woman who became the Silent Screen Legend.

Once again, don’t miss Garden of Alla during its short stay in Hollywood. You will be titillated as well as informed.”

– Rob Stevens, Haines His Way

“LIGHTS A CANDLE FOR ALLA… takes the audience on a fast-paced ride… like a silent movie coming suddenly to life.”

— Edmon Rodman, MegilLA

“CREATIVE AND ENTERTAINING …take[s] us back in time… Romy skillfully brings these characters to life.”

— Amelisha HuEck, Discover Hollywood

“IMPRESSIVELY underscores the life and career of the silent film superstar, visionary Hollywood writer/director/producer, and LGBTQ trailblazer who created the Garden of Alla.”

— Julio Martinez, LA Stage Insider, Critic’s Corner

“WELL-CRAFTED AND ENGAGING…  [Nordlinger’s] energy and the show never lag… FASCINATING.”

— Laura Foti Cohen, The Three Tomatoes

“Directed by Lorca Peress, GARDEN OF ALLA imbues Nazimova with a larger-than-life persona, a brash lady never afraid to express her opinions and encourage sexual and intellectual freedom years before its time. Kudos to Nordlinger’s solo performance as the iconic flapper of silent screen fame. Her energy and barely constrained excitement offer Nazimova a vivid life in 2023. 

GARDEN OF ALLA is a show which will appeal to all you Hollywood history buffs out there, as well as to people fascinated by what makes the famous who they are. Clearly, LGBTQ audiences will savor Nazimova’s meteoric rise and her influence on American culture. But above all, this is a play about a woman who rose against all odds at a time when the culture frowned upon scandal and was barely beginning to accept female’s role in society – and certainly years before anyone endorsed feminist views.”

– Elaine Mura, Splash Magazine

“A well-crafted and engaging solo show. … Well-curated and -designed video projections by Adam Jesse Burns and an evocative soundscape incorporating original music, by Nick T. Moore, match the high quality of the script. Lorca Peress directs with a light touch: Nazimova is a diva, but never goes over the top. Together, the sights, sounds and Nordlinger’s controlled acting transport us a century back in time and a few miles to the south of Theatre West. … Nordlinger may be alone onstage, but her energy and the show never lag. The fascinating facts—including a fair amount of name dropping—keep coming.”

– Laura Foti Cohen, Larchmont Buzz

“FASCINATING… HIGH DRAMA… juicy glimpses of life among the theatrical and wealthy ‘old Hollywood’ elite… Nordlinger smoothly and authentically nails the image of a 1920’s star… DON’T MISS IT!”

– Carol Edger Germain, ColoradoBoulevard.net

“An impressive tour de force.”

“The soul of Nazimova may be waiting in the wings.”

“A spellbinding homage to an oft-forgotten trailblazer. This impressive performance shows Nordlinger at the top of her game, a master in character acting. Garden of Alla celebrates Nazimova's queerness without needing to explain or contextualize it. As a queer person, I felt seen and represented, which I greatly appreciated. Garden of Alla is a remarkable solo show. Alla Nazimova would be incredibly proud of this portrayal of her life.”

– Carmen Burbridge, All About Solo

“A fascinating look at the career of an almost forgotten theatre and silent film star. Nordlinger’swriting has bite, bitchiness, humor and pathos all brought to life via her nuanced, yet grand acting. Nordlinger has a history of portraying Nazimova and has honed her interpretation to the point that it fits her like a second skin, helped by Lorca Peress’ sense of pacing and stagecraft. The play is also invigorated by video images designed by Adam Burns illustrating all the people and places in an adventurous, sensual life. Properly moody and period-suggestive music and sound is by Nick T. Moore. This is a fine recreation of a sadly forgotten personality.”

– Joel Benjamin, Theaterscene

“A stirring one-woman tribute to the trailblazing-but-forgotten actress Alla Nazimova. Nordlinger breathes life into hazy legend, imbuing Nazimova with an earthy sensuality, indomitable will, and clear passion for the art, people, and places that sustained her. Nuanced and thoughtful her performance displays a clear reverence for Nazimova’s life and character, highlights the story’s parallels with the struggles of today’s marginalized groups, and honors the resilience and creativity of artists throughout the ages. Nordlinger… speaks to the deeper truth of our shared ability to transcend limitations, craft our personal narratives, and find joy, meaning, and hope amidst adversity.”

– Emily Cordes, Theater Is Easy

This writer can only imagine Alla Nazimova would have been beyond honored to know her theatrical namesake was in the magnificent hands of Romy Nordlinger, that also held the Nazimova signature vodka martini – three olives straight. Directed by Lorca Peress, with video design by Adam Burns and accompanied by the sumptuous musical score by Nick T. Moore, Romy gives a haunting performance, filled with moment after moment of poignant beauty, our hearts with hers at each stage of Alla’s glorious and complicated life.

– Laurie Graff, Splash Magazine

“Brilliant as well as informative! You really channeled Nazimova! A tour de force!”

– Pat Addiss (Three time Tony award winning producer)

Garden of Alla, formerly known as PLACES!

“PLACES! (Garden of Alla) is a must-see one-person multimedia play about what happens when a woman dares to be different and asserts her right to be accepted in a male-dominated environment. Nordlinger not only wrote the play but also plays the title character. Nazimova would be proud of her.”

– Karynne Summars, Editor and Senior Writer, Hedonist Magazine

It is an important piece of theatre that will touch the minds and hearts of viewers.

Romy Nordlinger is brilliant in the role of Alla Nazimova. She brings her character to life and captures the passion, the drama, and the humor of the spirited actress. Nordlinger’s reimagining of Nazimova's personal and professional life is inspirational.

A beautifully honest portrayal of a talented woman who was a true trailblazer for the LGBT community.

Compliments all around to the team that brings Places (Garden of Alla) to the stage.

Audiences for Places (Garden of Alla) not only experience theatrical history but have an opportunity to consider timeless social statements about struggle, success and acceptance.

This is a show that should have a long life in the theatre.

Producer and radio personality Andy Caploe wrote this beautiful summary of what Garden of Alla is all about.

"Romy Nordlinger's Garden of Alla brings to life the remarkable true story of Alla Nazimova, herself an international multimedia marvel of creativity, who emerged in the academies of Tsarist Russia, burst onto the boards of Broadway, flashed like a supernova across the silent screens of Hollywood, and defined the first wave of brazen living in LA's demimonde more than a century ago. Just offstage, the audience senses the supportive continuum of Garbo, Clara Bow, Theda Bara, and Norma Shearer, cheering on Romy's one-woman tour-de-force. She brings an exceptional combination of capabilities to render Nazimova's mirabile dictu trajectory with an immediacy that transcends the remove and gives the audience a visceral intimate experience of sharing time and energy with this fascinating character. In a fitting match of subject and actor, Romy manages to define an accessible yet rarefied space aided and abetted by the remarkable sonic and light projections cast by the science fictional Adam Burns, a collaboration perhaps only achievable by partners who share the realities of life in the theater and in the contemporary world. Nazimova's legacy - with relevance for today - is in good hands with the talented Romy who has created a spectacle whose implications are only just beginning to reveal themselves."

Romy Nordlinger gives a magnetic performance as Alla Nazimova, the stage and silent movie star in Places (Garden of Alla).

The glamorous Ms. Nordlinger dramatically enters and charismatically holds forth for 65 minutes. With skillful comic timing and emotional range, she enacts the life story of the performer who was once widely celebrated and then faded into relative obscurity.

Nick T. Moore’s sound design adds an ethereal dimension with its fluctuating volume that powerfully renders the clips of old songs and effects. Mr. Moore’s original eerie score is a tuneful combination of the past and modern tones.

Her skillful, well-researched and assembled biographical facts are laced with feminist slanted commentary, and knowledge of events that occurred after Nazimova’s death. Madonna and Lady Gaga are cited as beneficiaries of Nazimova’s trailblazing path. There are film images of notable personages that include Barbara Walters, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Hillary Clinton and lots of Donald Trump. This all infuses the show with a refreshing contemporary streak.

Places (Garden of Alla) succeeds both as a showcase for Romy Nordlinger’s considerable talents as well as restoring Nazimova to the public consciousness.

Places (Garden of Alla) is not just a story about a forgotten actress, it’s about how being a strong, powerful woman in business can be dangerous. The powers that be, primarily men, will always try to drag a woman down if she’s too successful. It’s astonishing to realize that this is still happening, nearly 100 years later. But Nazimova’s story is not a cautionary one but an inspirational one. She lived life out and proud and was taken down for it but she definitely lived. Places (Garden of Alla) makes sure you know that Alla Nazimova regrets nothing.

Nordlinger narrates Places (Garden of Alla) as though she were Nazimova’s ghost talking about her own past but speaking to a contemporary audience. She portrays the actress as a seductive hedonist with unmatched confidence and decadent proclivities.

This enlightening production’s currency is chilling. It is a superb, striking must-see.

Romy Nordlinger has crafted a fascinating account of the glamorous, forward-thinking theater and silent screen star Alla Nazimova, who shares her life story from beyond the veil. Nordlinger’s solo, multi-media performance is charming, humorous and candid.

Nordlinger, who portrays Nazimova, with stylized grace and aplomb, reveals the arc of Nazimova’s evolution.

It is in aligning the past with the present that this production Places (Garden of Alla) is its most trenchant, vital and significant for our time. This artist (revealed in marvelous historic film clips) uplifted our social/cultural history. Places (Garden of Alla) is a clarion call for us never to give up, despite injustices which threaten to destroy men and women alike.

A tour-de-force solo performance by Romy Nordlinger. 

Nordlinger is glamourous and bright as Nazimova, yet she captures her sensitivity and grit as well.  

Nordlinger and Nazimova give us a surprising and moving evening of theater.

Evan Caccioppoli on Places

By Evan Caccioppoli, New York Theatre Review

Nordlinger brings us into Nazimova’s life and introduces is to the many different people both good and bad that have shaped who she is. In her play by allowing Nazimova to play out all the different characters in her life instead of the actor doing it, we as any audience are shown the great storyteller Alla was. With a twinkle in her eye and a smile always at the corner of her mouth we are being let in on the secret, which makes this solo piece so exciting.

Adams Burns wonderfully video design perfectly highlight Nazimova’s story and but us back into the silent movie houses at the birth of Hollywood.

Nick T. Moore’s musical underscore and sound design create a backdrop that does not overpower the story but flows in tune with it. 

This impressive production is well worth catching. The combination of acting and visuals makes for a compelling and informative hour. Romy Nordlinger gives a powerhouse performance which captures all of the grandiose movie-star exuberance along with a tinge of vodka-coated lamentation. The combination of acting and visuals makes for a compelling and informative hour; I came away wondering why this larger-than-life actress had previously slipped under my radar, and feeling disgusted at the way in which gay people were treated during this period.

– Arts Fringes

A tour de force. A magnificent piece of acting. A solo show that is intriguing and beguiling. The themes of the times are well imagined as we get a snapshot of a period that many would claim more innocent but which actually appears to be just as poisonous as today. A story I could do with hearing again as I was thoroughly entertained.

RECOMMENDED SHOW

– Fringe Review

It’s a fascinating account not only of Nazimova, but also of Hollywood prejudice and how it can destroy the careers of its brightest stars. Accompanying video footage that includes denunciations of homosexuality from, amongst others, Donald Trump and Margaret Thatcher shows why there is more at stake today than just restoring Nazimova to her place in Hollywood history.

– The Reviews Hub

With the requisite imperious diva flourish, Nordlinger effectively paints a portrait of an independent thinker who trailblazed against the odds.

– The Scotsman

INTERVIEW

PLACES (Garden of Alla) : Romy Norldlinger on Becoming Alla Nazimova

Jody Christopherson, Huffington Post, July 6 2017

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/places-romy-nordlinger-on-becoming-alla-nazimova_us_595eb673e4b085e766b51167

INTERVIEW

Places (Garden of Alla) Dramaturgy: Romy Nordlinger @ Edfringe 2017

Gareth Vile, The Vile Blog, June 22, 2017

Read more at: http://vilearts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/places-dramaturgy-romy-nordlinger.html

Brian Ferguson, The Scotsman

The venue, which is the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and dates back to 1911, will also be hosting live music, theatre and dance events during August. These include a play about Alla Nazimova, who became a huge Broadway star after emigrating to the United States in 1905.