La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)
Ends May 2023 2h 0m
La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)
88

La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao) NYC Reviews and Tickets

88%
(94 Reviews)
Positive
98%
Mixed
1%
Negative
1%
Members say
Entertaining, Great acting, Funny, Clever, Great writing

About the Show

Marco Antonio Rodríguez’s adaptation of the hit novel. Performed in Spanish with English supertitles

Read more Show less

Member Reviews (94)

Sort by:
  • Default
  • Standing in our community
  • Highest first
  • Lowest first
  • Newest first
  • Oldest first
  • Only positive
  • Only negative
  • Only mixed
1118 Reviews | 292 Followers
70
Great staging, Entertaining, Confusing, Absorbing

See it if Good acting and direction. Story for most part too was clever.

Don't see it if Translations are a bit daunting.

913 Reviews | 265 Followers
90
Great writing, Refreshing, Entertaining, Relevant, Great acting

See it if you would enjoy a contemporary story filled with great characters dealing with life. A wonderful book is brought to life w/great direction.

Don't see it if you do not understand Spanish are not familiar with the story - it is impossible to keep up with the supertitles due to the volume. Read more

754 Reviews | 124 Followers
79
Quirky, Edgy, Ambitious, Creative, Funny

See it if a plot that centers on love in many forms works for you. The staging is very basic so everything depends on the talented performers.

Don't see it if missing translations are an issue - sometimes the projections go too quickly or depending on where you are sitting actors block the screen.

688 Reviews | 116 Followers
75
Quirky, Relevant, Confusing, Funny, Ambitious

See it if Humorous situations & fine comedic performances esp Sebastian's Oscar & Bonilla's "mother of mine" hold interest when plot gets convoluted

Don't see it if Rodriguez's adapt feels muddled & abridged w/an inability to integrate the superhero element cogently It's best when depicting Oscar's angst

478 Reviews | 122 Followers
88
Refreshing, Relevant, Resonant, Thought-provoking, Great writing

See it if you want to see an ethnic author from an immigrant family destroying myths about immigration

Don't see it if you can't use supertitles and don't speak Spanish. You can not let go of immigration myths. Read more

456 Reviews | 73 Followers
78
Relevant, Refreshing, Intelligent, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if you read or are planning to read the novel. Fun story, well done.

Don't see it if you don't speak Spanish and are a slow reader. It was hard to keep up with and see the super titles. Many of the jokes went over my head. Read more

348 Reviews | 78 Followers
85
Quirky, Funny, Great writing, Great acting

See it if you read and enjoyed the book--it's a faithful adaptation in terms of tone. If you are interested in coming of age stories, Latino culture.

Don't see it if you don't want to read supertitles, if you don't understand even a little Spanish (or don't mind missing some words that aren't translated.) Read more

314 Reviews | 176 Followers
88
Great acting, Intense, Entertaining, Funny

See it if Very funny & very touching play about the life of some Latino immigrants,performed by talented actors, on an interesting setting.

Don't see it if not crazy about the subtitle system, too fast at times. Read more

Critic Reviews (5)

The New York Times
January 24th, 2020
For a previous production

"The Tragedy, and Comedy, of Manhood In a Spanish-language stage adaptation of the Junot Díaz novel, the friendship between two Dominican men is a testing ground for competing visions of masculinity."
Read more

Theatermania
October 16th, 2019
For a previous production

"'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' Becomes a New Spanish Play Junot Díaz's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel receives a world-premiere stage adaptation at Repertorio Español."
Read more

Lighting & Sound America
October 21st, 2019
For a previous production

"A straightforward, workmanlike run-through of the book's main narrative, minus its highly individual voice, and stripped of much of its power; Marco Antonio Rodríguez's adaptation puts one in mind of Reader's Digest Condensed Books."
Read more

Theatre is Easy
October 19th, 2019
For a previous production

"A Theasy Best Bet…packs a poignant punch but also delivers an entertaining production…this adaptation feels truthful to the aesthetics of the original text…It's a tale that will move you in unexpected ways."
Read more

New York Theater
October 16th, 2019
For a previous production

"There's much to delight in the vivid characters in the story, and in the several cultures they reflect - Dominican culture, immigrant culture, Comic-con culture - but for the uninitiated it requires extra attention...well-acted, warmhearted entertainment that transcends language even as it plays with it."
Read more