Goodman Theatre’s ‘Oscar Wao’ just shy of wondrous

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” — 2.5 stars

What’s not to love about Oscar, the unreservedly romantic, unfailingly authentic character at the center of Goodman Theatre’s “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”?

Nothing — especially as portrayed by Chicago native Lenin Izquierdo, whose endearing vulnerability elicited audible “awwws” from the opening-night audience.

Izquierdo’s performance as the bright, endlessly likable Dominican American undergraduate is one of the best things about Marco Antonio Rodriguez’s play exploring Dominican American identity, the curse of inherited trauma and the damage toxic masculinity inflicts.

Goodman’s production marks the English-language premiere of playwright Rodriguez’s original Spanish-language adaptation of Junot Díaz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which premiered in 2019 at the Repertorio Español in New York, where it continues to run.

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.

But at nearly three hours, the play needs trimming. The second act, the weaker of the two, lacks the tight focus of the first. For example, Act II begins with dreamlike dance depicting a joyful family celebration eclipsed by the family curse. It’s lovely, but it’s superfluous.

Lastly, the set changes are fussy and distracting, especially during the play’s more intense scenes. That is not a criticism of crew members or actors handling the transitions; rather, it’s an observation about a less-than-ideal stage configuration of a play that might be better suited to a conventional proscenium setting.

We first encounter Oscar — an aspiring science fiction writer and anime enthusiast who loves hard and without judgment — in his Rutgers University dorm room grappling with what he believes is a family curse. His concerns are dismissed by his strong-willed mother, Beli (Florentino), whose sharp tongue belies her fierce love for Oscar and his rebellious older sister, Lola (Calderon), who embraces the family’s African legacy her mother rejects.

We next meet Oscar’s roommate Yunior (Grullon), a “player” whose swagger and masculine energy contrasts with Oscar’s awkward earnestness. Still, they find common ground. Yunior shares his love of J.R.R. Tolkien and graphic novels. Although he resists Oscar’s friendship initially, he becomes a confidant and mentor, advising his virginal roommate on the finer points of machismo to win young women’s affections. To that end, Oscar’s laughable attempts to mimic Yunior make for some of the production’s funniest scenes.

Guzmán takes on several roles, including goth coed Jenni, who befriends Oscar but does not return his romantic affection. Guzmán also plays Ybon, the prostitute Oscar falls in love with during a trip to the Dominican Republic, where he visits his abuela, La Inca (Almonte), hoping to uncover the source of the family curse.

Rounding out the cast is Vega, who plays several heavies. Among them is Beli’s onetime lover, whose ties to Rafael Trujillo — the Dominican Republic dictator whose brutal tenure lasted 30 years — nearly cost Beli her life.

But it’s Izquierdo — ideally cast as the unlikely hero whose journey inspires those he loves — who truly animates “Oscar Wao,” a play that, with a bit of tweaking, could be wondrous indeed.

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Location: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 443-3800, goodmantheatre.org

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday through April 12. No 2 p.m. show March 12. No 7:30 p.m. show April 12.

Running time: About 2 hours, 40 minutes, with intermission

Tickets: $34-$94

Parking: Nearby garages; discounted parking with Goodman Theatre validation at the Government Center Self Park at Clark and Lake streets

Rating: For older teens and adults; contains strong language, violence and sexual content