Review Roundup: New Musical Series UP HERE Comes to Hulu

"Up Here," the new musical series hailing from Steven Levenson ("tick, tick...BOOM!"), Thomas Kail ("Hamilton"), Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez ("Frozen"), premieres on Friday, March 24 with all eight episodes.

The cast includes Mae Whitman, Carlos Valdes, Katie Finneran, John Hodgman, Andréa Burns, Sophia Hammons, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Micaela Diamond, Norm Lewis, Aisha Jackson, and Emilia Suárez.

A musical romantic comedy set in New York City in the waning days of 1999, following the extraordinary story of one ordinary couple, Lindsay and Miguel, as they fall in love and discover that the single greatest obstacle to finding happiness together might just be themselves - and the treacherous world of memories, obsessions, fears and fantasies that lives inside their heads.

Ahead of the series premiere, check out what critics thought of Up Here below. Check back as we update this roundup with new reviews as they are released.

---

Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter: "Up Here has its charms, first and foremost a pair of winning lead performances by Carlos Valdes and Mae Whitman. But there's a disappointing shallowness to the entire affair, even after all the time spent delving into the characters' innermost psyches."

Chase Hutchinson, Collider: "Obviously, not all musicals need to be constantly dominated by song and dance. There can be plenty of scenes played more straight that are woven throughout. The problem is that Up Here is not particularly good at striking a balance between the two."

Matt Roush, TV Insider: "If Up Here doesn't quite fill the void left by the departures of the more inspired Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, or even Smash (heading to Broadway!) for that matter, I'll settle for a happy ending and a few new earworms."

Fletcher Peters, The Daily Beast: "Hulu has brought La La Land to the Big Apple with their new series, but instead of changing the main setting (Up Here could really take place in Los Angeles, for all we know), the show strips itself of all charm and creativity."

Bob Strauss, Datebook: "While Lindsay and Miguel's issues go to some dark places, they too get glossed over by narrative forgetfulness, superficial optimism and rom-com contrivances. That makes for light entertainment with a few good hooks. But considering the star power, 'Up Here' really should have been more mind-blowing."

Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe: "It's a cutesy tale, as the two romantic interests - Mae Whitman's Lindsay and Carlos Valdes's Miguel - break up and make up while trying to manage their insecurities. But then it's a mildly cerebral show, too, as it runs on earnest, angst-filled tunes that aren't especially character-revealing or catchy."

David Cote, AV Club: "The most memorable numbers are ones that feature guest stars. Broadway legend Brian Stokes-Mitchell pops up as a famous children's book author ... The sensational Micaela Diamond (currently on Broadway in Parade) materializes as Lindsay's goth-punk schoolmate with no f-cks to give who (in Lindsay's bad-girl fantasy) takes her out to a club to dance crazily and get laid. The actors playing voices in our lovers' heads-especially comedy diva Finneran-are mostly wasted."

---

Watch the new trailer here: