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The musical comedy series Up Here began on Hulu on Friday, March 24, 2023. It follows an in-love couple that realizes the biggest hindrance in their path of togetherness is their inner thoughts. How they fight such obstacles and find their eternal happiness forms the rest of the story.
The rom-com stars Mae Whitman, Carlos Valdes, Katie Finneran, John Hodgman, and Andréa Burns, among others, in the main cast. Some of the actors are experienced in musicals and Broadway shows, making their inclusion worthy.
The recurring cast members include George Hampe, Julia McDermott, Scott Porter, Ayumi Patterson, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.
The synopsis for Up Here reads:
“Set in New York City in 1999, Lindsay and Miguel fall in love and discover that the single greatest obstacle to finding happiness together might just be themselves -- and the memories, obsessions, fears, and fantasies that lives inside their heads.”
The series is by the quartet of Steven Levenson (Tick, Tick... Boom!), Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. The four have also served as the executive producers of the series. Lunch Bag Snail Productions, Pyrrhic Victory Productions, Old 320 Sycamore Productions, and 20th Television have bankrolled Up Here.
Season 1, which has eight episodes, is currently available to stream in its entirety on Hulu from Friday, March 24, 2023. The episodes are titled Lindsay, Miguel, Signs, Special, Labels, Armor, Baggage, and Y2K.
Up Here’s main cast members are a mix of theater actors, humorists, and experienced stars
1) Mae Whitman plays Lindsay
Mae Whitman debuted at the age of nearly five and has been acting since, and her first film was in 1994's When a Man Loves a Woman. Meanwhile, her debut small-screen appearances were in the TV films Degree of Guilt and Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge. Her leading film debut was in 2015's The Duff.
Over the years, Whitman became known for featuring the following:
- One Fine Day (1996)
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
- Hope Floats (1998)
- Independence Day (1996)
She's also appeared in the following series:
- Fox’s Arrested Development (2004–2006, 2013)
- NBC dramas Good Girls (2018-2021)
- Parenthood (2010–2015)
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
The Californian has also lent her voice to numerous films, TV animated sitcoms, and video games. According to Whitman, Up Here is all about the dating scene in the 90s. As for Lindsay and Miguel, she said that they often get pulled apart but keep coming back together.
Lindsay's character has been taught to show her "nice parts" to people, so when she lands in New York to become a writer, the grown-up woman is all bottled up. Things drastically change when she meets Miguel.
2) Carlos Valdes as Up Here's Miguel
The Colombian-American actor/singer debuted with the DC superhero series Arrow playing Cisco Ramon/Vibe. He then went on to portray the fictional character in several Arrowverse series.
Carlos Valdes had recurring roles in Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye and Gaslit. The 33-year-old has appeared in several theatrical productions as well, with Once being a Broadway musical.
In Up Here, when Valdes' Miguel accidentally meets aspiring writer Lindsay in a Manhattan bar, sparks fly. However, he's also battling his own insecurities, and Lindsay is tackling hers. To get together, they have to get rid of them.
3) Katie Finneran: Lindsay’s mother Joan
Katie Finneran is a Tony Award-winning actress noted for her performances in Promises, Promises, a 2010 musical, and Noises Off, a 2002 Broadway play. Some of her best film performances are in the Night of the Living Dead remake, You've Got Mail, Chicken Little, Liberty Heights, and Bewitched, among others.
In Up Here, she plays the role of Lindsay's judgmental and uptight mother. Her teachings during her growing up years have rendered Whitman's character to stay anxious and nervous all the time.
4) John Hodgman: Lindsay’s father Tom
Apart from being an actor, John Hodgman is also an author and comic. He has published satirical almanacs like The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All.
The veteran actor is also known for his PC personification in Apple’s advertising campaign, Get a Mac, Arthur, Movie 43, Learning to Drive, and Married, among others. He has also made contributions to Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
A 2018 Thurber Prize for American Humor finalist, Hodgman plays Lindsay's father in the Hulu series. He, like his wife, didn't think twice before becoming a disapproving figure throughout Lindsay's life.
5) Andréa Burns: Miguel’s late mother Rosie
Andréa Burns began her career with musicals with West Side Story being her debut opera. Interestingly, she also played a role in Steven Spielberg's 2021 film of the same name.
Her other notable roles are in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights, Douglas Carter Beane's The Nance, The Electric Company, Jessica Jones, Kevin Can Wait, Law & Order: SVU, and Wonder Pets.
She plays Miguel's dead mother in Up Here, Rosie. She mostly appears as one of the discouraging "inner voices" in his head, hindering the flow of any progressive thought.
Up Here is currently streaming on Hulu.
