The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...In this new dramatic adaptation at the Goodman, “Oscar Wao” intermittently breaks out into a vibrant celebration of youthful Dominican culture, a rarity at a downtown theater. Oscar, generously and earnestly embodied here by Lenin Izquierdo, of Chicago’s own Humboldt Park, is a character filled with humor and vitality, an extrovert nerd if ever there was one and a savant when it comes to seeking out and contextualizing one’s experiences of the day."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...Under the direction of Teatro Vista Artistic Director Wendy Mateo, the journey through familial and global history is a dazzling, upsetting, affirming trip where beauty and brutality are as inseparable as light and shadow. Throughout, magical realism flickers like a sparkle of fireflies as fantasy and reality smash together."

Daily Herald - Somewhat Recommended

"...Director Wendy Mateo’s production has a lot of heart and benefits from impassioned work by Rossmery Almonte, Julissa Calderon, Yohanna Florentino, Kelvin Grullon, Jalbelly Guzmán and Arik Vega. Stefania Bulbarella’s comic-book inspired projections — burning stars and exploding planets — add appropriate whimsy."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...I haven't laughed or cried as much during a stage performance as I did at this production."

Talkin Broadway - Recommended

"...The Goodman's staging beautifully captures the fantasy vibe of the the title character's worldview, and director Wendy Mateo elicits strong performances from a talented cast. The result is an engaging, if somewhat superficial, story told from regrettably underrepresented perspectives."

Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended

"...Fans of Junot Díaz’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao are in for a bit of a shock with the world premiere of the English-language stage adaptation by Marco Antonio Rodríguez, now being performed at the Goodman. Examining transgenerational trauma and oppressive ideals of masculinity, along with a host of other issues, Díaz’s intricate novel was widely acclaimed by critics and readers alike and is now a staple on lists of the best books of the century."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” is funny, moving, and visually striking! Simply put, this show is great fun! The result is an experience which is intellectually engaging and emotionally fulfilling, also devastating and ultimately hopeful."

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...Oscar’s nerdiness and sometimes awkward behavior make him humorous, but even more, he’s a likable and geeky protagonist in whom most theatergoers will see themselves. Believed to be ill-fated by a curse, Oscar thinks that he and his family are doomed to certain downfall. But Oscar is optimistic that he can overcome this dark fuku through his devotion to comic books, fantasy films and eventually falling in love."

Buzz Center Stage - Highly Recommended

"...At the heart of the story is the trio of Oscar (Lenin D’Anthony Izquierdo), Yunior (Kelvin Grullon), and Lola (Julissa Calderon), who are as messy, spirited, and loving as three college kids can be. Their chemistry feels genuinely lived-in: the easy humor, the sharp edges, the quiet loyalties. Their dynamic perfectly captures the complexities of chosen family, blurred boundaries, and sibling devotion, all while keeping the audience constantly laughing."

Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended

"...Oscar Wao is a nerdy guy and a wannabe writer with a big heart. He’s open to friendship and longing for love. We even get to experience his loss of virginity during his story, which depicts Dominican life in America. The Goodman Theatre’s world premiere play, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, is adapted from Junot Diaz’s 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning novel. The stage adaptation is by Marco Antonio Rodriguez. Director Wendy Mateo, artistic director of Teatro Vista, may have struggled a bit with this too-long adaptation that needs some script doctoring."

Entertaining Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a production full of heart that tackles generational trauma, finding your bravery, and living as your own kind of superhero. You will find the humor and the pain in Oscar’s story, but more than anything, you’ll see him."

Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended

"...The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a whole lotta love letters, all at once. First and foremost, Marco Antonio Rodriguez’s adaptation from the page to the stage is a love letter to Díaz’s novel. With a running time of almost three hours, you can feel Rodriguez working to preserve as much of the novel as he can, though there may need to be a few cuts on the way to Broadway."

Curtain Call Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” is funny, moving, and visually striking! Simply put, this show is great fun! The result is an experience which is intellectually engaging and emotionally fulfilling, also devastating and ultimately hopeful. Oscar, played by Lenin D’Anthony Izquierdo, will at times remind you of the great comic actor Josh Gad who can also bring you to tears. Izquierdo is playful and nerdy at one moment, then turns haunting and tense. He helps the show’s foundational level of magical realism which never plays as a gimmick; rather it’s the language of how this family lives, grieves and dreams. This work belongs on a major classic stage like the Goodman. It is home here."

Allie and the After Party - Highly Recommended

"...Following a young man's journey as he enters college and feels this need to find his family roots in the Dominican Republic, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao takes us on an expansive quest. Led by a cast unafraid to let all their emotions out on stage, this show explores many relatable themes and stories."

Werner's Theatre Reviews - Highly Recommended

"...The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao continues Goodman Theatre’s centennial season in the company’s intimate Owen Theatre. Based on the 2007 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel by Junot Díaz, the play first premiered in Spanish at New York City’s Repertorio Español in 2019. In its world premiere English-language adaptation, Goodman’s Oscar Wao triumphs in both grand Dominican representation and striking visual storytelling."

BroadwayWorld - Somewhat Recommended

"...Directed by Wendy Mateo here at the Goodman, Marco Antonio Rodriguez’s adaptation is overall a much sunnier version of Oscar’s story. While Yunior narrated Díaz’s novel after coming out of prison, here the narration shifts to Oscar’s nerdy and naive POV. Oscar heads to college with a fervent desire to lift his family curse — Fukú — and fears he’ll die a virgin."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...If you aren’t fluent in Spanish, there are a few moments that may be lost to you as the dialogue flips from English to Español. But just as I argued in my review of “Layalina” in 2023, we are not entitled to understanding every single line. You don’t have to understand what is being said to know what is happening. The world is many things to many people, as is this play. That’s why “Oscar Wao” ultimately asks us not to simply listen with our ears, but to listen with our hearts."