Home > Entertainment > TV Shows
Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes sing, dance, and fall in love.
By Belen Edwards on
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Mae Whitman in "Up Here." Credit: Patrick Harbron/Hulu
Mashable's entertainment team picks our Watch of the Week, TV shows and movies that you absolutely must add to your list.
If you like your musicals earnest and your romantic comedies cheesy, chances are you'll enjoy Up Here.
Hulu's latest original series features a bevy of musical hard-hitters behind the wheel, including Hamilton director Thomas Kail, tick, tick...BOOM! screenwriter Steven Levenson, and Frozen and WandaVision songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. This dream team for theater kids guides viewers through a love story between Lindsay (Mae Whitman) and Miguel (Carlos Valdes), two lost souls whose insecurities manifest themselves as nagging inner voices. There is singing, there is dancing, and there are many laughs along the way.
SEE ALSO:
15 catchiest, most dazzling musicals on NetflixUp Here gives shape to the voices in our heads.
The cast of "Up Here." Credit: Patrick Harbron/Hulu
At first glance, Lindsay and Miguel may seem like your average rom-com leads: She's an aspiring writer freshly arrived in New York, and he's an investment banker trying to get ahead. But what sets them apart are their inner voices, which Up Here externalizes as a Greek chorus of disapproving figures from Lindsay and Miguel's lives. For Lindsay, these are her parents (Katie Finneran and John Hodgman) and her best friend from middle school (Sophia Hammons). Miguel's voices are his mother (Andréa Burns), a high school crush (Emilia Suárez), and the man who slept with his longtime girlfriend (Scott Porter).
For both Lindsay and Miguel, these voices represent their baggage, their history, and all the times they've been told to keep their true thoughts and feelings to themselves. The voices belittle their every move and force them into a tight box of what they think a person should be.
As a concept, the voices are a fascinating storytelling device. However, the execution sometimes falls flat. Since these voices are expressions of Lindsay and Miguel's worst thoughts and fears, they tend to feel one-note: Porter's voice is toxic masculinity personified, while Burns is a smothering mom throughout. They are concepts, not characters with arcs. However, each performer delivers a truly fun turn, and the moments when they pop up in scenes like musical jump scares often generate the biggest laughs and the best in-show reactions.
Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Neither Miguel nor Lindsay inform each other of their inner conflicts as they jump into, then out of, then back into a relationship. But that lack of communication speaks to the key question of the show: Can you ever really know someone, given everything that goes on in their head? And can Lindsay and Miguel ever really know themselves, or are they too busy trying to meet others' expectations? Up Here dances around these themes with an occasionally frustrating narrative circularity, and the story that takes a few episodes to truly begin hitting all the right notes.
Mae Whitman, Carlos Valdes, and musical theater are the main draws of Up Here.
Carlos Valdes and the company of "Up Here." Credit: Sarah Shatz/Hulu
However, even when Up Here's story stumbles, Whitman and Valdes are here to pick it right back up. The two deliver lovely, committed performances and share sweet chemistry to boot. Whitman does a wonderful job with Lindsay's journey of self-discovery, leading to moments where she is able to showcase her vulnerability and her killer comedic chops. The same can be said of Valdes as Miguel: While Miguel may at first seem like a stone-cold Wall Street killer — a "tiger shark," as one voice puts it — Valdes and the show peel back his layers until we see someone afraid of loving too hard and losing too much.
Related Stories
- How to unblock Hulu from outside the U.S.
- 23 of the best romantic comedies streaming on Hulu
- The 25 best shows on Hulu to delight and entertain you
- 'Rogers the Musical' from 'Hawkeye' is now a real thing Disney is making
- 'Daisy Jones and the Six' review: Can this fictional band be your next musical obsession?
Whitman and Valdes, as well as everyone playing their inner voices, also shine in Up Here's many musical numbers. With Anderson-Lopez and Lopez penning these tunes, it's no surprise that you'll find yourself bopping along (although the numbers lack the earworm quality of "Let It Go" or "Agatha All Along"). Up Here brings these songs to life with Sonya Tayeh's versatile choreography, along with staging that ranges from a street sing-along to a quest through a video game. Standouts include a grungy Alanis Morissette-esque number about embracing your inner bad girl to a sinister dance in what I can only describe as a Dr. Seuss sex club circus. (The Dr. Seuss figure is played by Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell, a delightful addition to Up Here's ensemble.)
Up Here carves out its own space in the landscape of sitcom musicals. It's not a jukebox musical like Glee or Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, and not a musical pastiche like Schmigadoon! A closer comparison may be Rachel Bloom's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which similarly depicted characters' inner conflicts through elaborate musical numbers. However, while Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's songs were sharply satirical, many of Up Here's tend towards earnest "I Want" songs that service Lindsay and Miguel's desire for love and self-fulfillment. (A performance where Lindsay begs people to like her while lying on a piano did give me major Rebecca Bunch vibes, though.) Up Here may never reach the levels of brilliance seen in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but its sweetness and two excellent leads make for a toe-tapping, heartwarming watch.
All episodes of Up Here Season 1 are now streaming on Hulu.
Topics Hulu Streaming
More from Watch of the Week
One of TV's best comedies is coming to a close
New episodes are now on Paramount+.
By Kristy Puchko
'Late Night with the Devil' review:'70s flare and Satanic Panic bring horror home
Slow burn so good —and now streaming.
By Kristy Puchko
'MadS' review: A zombie thriller told through one continuous take? New horror level unlocked!
Partying teens go feral, and we are riveted.
By Kristy Puchko
'Disclaimer' review: Cate Blanchett and Alfonso Cuarón's thriller series will shatter you
Blanchett and Cuarón make a killer TV team up.
By Belen Edwards
'The Platform 2' review: A lesson in how to make a sci-fi sequel
Same setting, different rules.
By Sam Haysom
Recommended For You
'Azrael' review: Samara Weaving, a silent gimmick, and lots of gore
From the minds behind "Cheap Thrills" and "You're Next" comes a risky religious horror movie.
By Kristy Puchko
'Emilia Pérez' review: An incendiary transgender cartel musical
Jacques Audiard's gaudy, star-studded Cannes winner is stirring, and surprisingly philosophical.
By Siddhant Adlakha
'The End' review: Tilda Swinton sings of delusion in apocalypse musical
Michael Shannon and George MacKay co-star.
By Kristy Puchko
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Series 9: All the new upgrades
Here are all the changes Apple has made for its latest Watch.
By Amanda Yeo
'How to Die Alone' review: Natasha Rothwell's comedy is a sweet, vulnerable ride
The "Insceure" and "White Lotus" star tackles self-discovery.
By Belen Edwards
More in Entertainment
Online experts you can trust for Hurricane Milton info
These hurricane pros are sharing accurate information about the terrifying storm.
By Rebecca Ruiz
Hurricane Milton is almost here. Here's how to get help evacuating.
Free shuttle buses and Uber rides are available to get you to safety.
By Amanda Yeo
Hurricane Milton: Spaghetti models track the storm’s path
It's a near certainty that Milton will hit Florida as a major hurricane. Here's what we know about where.
By Mike Pearl and Eric Miller
See Florida road conditions on live webcams as Hurricane Helene hits
Stay safe.
By Mike Pearl
See Hurricane Helene landfall live on these Florida beach cams
Historic storm surge.
By Mike Pearl
Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 27
Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #504.
By Mashable Team
Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 27
Here are some tips and tricks to help you find the answer to "Wordle" #1226.
By Mashable Team
A deep sea expedition is filming jaw-dropping footage
An alien world.
By Mark Kaufman
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 26
Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #503.
By Mashable Team
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 27
Everything you need to solve Connections Sports Edition #34.
By Mashable Team
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!