Mae Whitman To Star In Hulu Musical Series Up Here From Hamilton Director
If a romantic comedy is only as good as its lead, then "Up Here" is shaping up to be pretty spectacular. According to TVLine, Mae Whitman ("Arrested Development," "Good Girls") has been cast in the starring role of Hulu's upcoming rom-com series, locking down her first project post-"Good Girls" and also marking her return to the world of music — because in case you missed the initial announcement, "Up Here" is also a musical series! Described as the "extraordinary story of one ordinary couple," the series traces the love story of Lindsay and Miguel in the waning days of 1999.
While the role of Miguel has yet to be filled, Whitman is set to star as Lindsay, "who has spent her entire life desperately trying to live up to the good-girl persona the world seems to expect of her. But she is sick and tired of being nice and is about to leave her small life in small-town Vermont behind to move to New York City to find out who she really is, and what she really wants."
Ah yes, the classic new-in-town musical set-up: You can just see her belting out an I Want song as she boards a plane in Vermont, then magically appears in the streets of New York, where some rude local will snap her back to reality. Though we don't know too much about where the musical numbers will factor in, fingers are crossed for the very elaborately choreographed approach of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." It's certainly nothing Mae Whitman can't handle — the actress has already starred in her fair share of rom-com scenarios, and proven her comedic chops many times before. Also, many who know Whitman beyond her live-action roles will recognize her as a highly sought-after voice actor with an extensive resume that probably includes a recent (or nostalgic) favorite. Some of her biggest roles include Katara in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "Tinkerbell" in the Disney Fairies franchise. But lesser-known is Whitman's musical career, which includes guest vocals for the indie-punk band Fake Problems and a couple of onscreen performances that "Parenthood" fans will remember well. So while Whitman may need to warm up her vocal cords for the upcoming series, she's no stranger to belting tunes.
What we know about Up Here so far
For a better sense of what to expect from "Up Here," take a look at the official synopsis:
Up Here is set in New York City in the waning days of 1999. It follows 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.
With an eight episode straight-to-series order, production on "Up Here" is set to begin this summer in New York. The series takes its story from a 2015 stage project penned by "Frozen" songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. In addition to serving as writers on the series, the award-winning songwriting duo will also pen original songs for the show. They'll be joining Steven Levenson ("Dear Evan Hansen," "tick, tick... Boom!") in the writers' room, alongside veteran TV writer Danielle Sanchez-Witzel ("New Girl," "My Name Is Earl"). Famed "Hamilton" director Thomas Kail will helm the series, and each of them will produce along with Jennifer Todd.