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Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes

The T1D news show you've been waiting for! Long-time broadcaster, blogger and diabetes mom Stacey Simms interviews prominent advocates, authors and speakers. Stacey asks hard questions of healthcare companies and tech developers and brings on "everyday' people living with type 1. Great for parents of T1D kids, adults with type 1 and anyone who loves a person with diabetes.
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Now displaying: Page 1
Mar 25, 2021

We can't wait to enjoy live theater again! That made us think about some of performers we've spoke to over the years. Maddy Trumble performed as Mary Poppins during that national tour and has also played Elphaba in Wicked. She was in the original Broadway production of Newsies, and many more plays and musicals.

Maddy was diagnosed with type one as a kid, and always knew that she wanted to be a performer. Maddy gets real about the cost of this type of career - she's had trouble with health insurance as its tied to constantly getting performing jobs. And we catch up to her to find out what her life has been like since this original interview and during the pandemic.

This interview first aired in November in 2016.

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

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Episode transcription (rough transcript, beta version) 

Stacey Simms  0:00

This episode of Diabetes Connections is brought to you by inside the breakthrough. A new history of science podcast full of Did you know stuff?

 

Announcer  0:14

This is Diabetes Connections with Stacey Simms.

 

Stacey Simms  0:20

Welcome to a classic episode of the show. As always, we aim to educate and inspire about diabetes by sharing stories of connections with a focus on people who use insulin. Our classic episodes are a look back at some of the people's stories and research we were talking about at the very beginning of Diabetes Connections back in 2015, and 2016. We have a lot of new listeners since then, chances are you haven't gone through all 360 plus episodes. So I like bringing these to you with an update on what's going on.

So I first spoke to today's guest, Maddy Trumbull back in 2016. And I had forgotten why I went looking for a Broadway play person in the first place back then. Well, it turns out, we had just seen Newsies, the Broadway touring company, here in Charlotte, and Benny and Leah, my daughter, we were all talking about how athletic a show that is, if you haven't seen it, and there's, you know, the original movie, certainly, but they made a movie out of the Broadway show. And that is really, really worth watching. It is not only singing and dancing, there's a tremendous amount of gymnastics. I mean, the choreography is, it's incredible, and it's exhausting. It's nonstop action. So Benny said to me right after the performance, he said, I wonder how you would do a show like that with type 1 diabetes? You know, he didn't say like, could you do it? His question was more like, how do you do that? How do you manage it? Which as the mom, I really liked that question. So I thought, there's got to be somebody we could talk to about that. Right? people with type one are doing everything. So I put out some feelers and we found Maddie Trumbull. She was actually in Newsies. And there's lots more to her story. And I'll give that to you in just a moment. But first, this episode of Diabetes Connections is supported by inside the breakthrough, a new history of science podcast that explores the idea of a eureka moment. its historical wisdom, mixed with modern insight, sort of a mash up between a history show and a science show. And it's funny, and it's entertaining. It's really well done. The latest episode takes a look at who takes part in psychological studies, you're the studies that are looking at human behavior that's supposed to be universal, but it turns out most of them only studying a particular group of people. That turns out to be anything but universal. It's a great episode full of surprises. I love this show. Search for inside the breakthrough anywhere you listen to podcasts, you can find it wherever you found this one. This podcast, as you know, is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your healthcare provider. Did you see the national tour of Mary Poppins or maybe wicked? Or maybe Newsies on Broadway? Then you have seen my guest Maddy Trumbull actually played Mary Poppins in that national tour. She has also played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West before she was the Wicked Witch of the West that said wicked under all of that green makeup if you've seen that show. And as I mentioned, she's been in Newsies on Broadway as well. She was diagnosed with type one as a kid, she always knew she was gonna sing and dance and be a performer. I was really excited to talk to Maddie about you know how she does all of that and travels. Again. This interview was taped in 2016. And of course, the last year has been difficult for everybody. But when you think about live theater, it's just not happening. And Maddie I reached out to her and got an update. She says she lost her insurance when Broadway shut down. And she did she was very honest, it wiped out her savings she was paying for Cobra. So she said I wasn't willing to give up her pump and her Dexcom. We actually talked about that at the time about how difficult it was to get insurance when you're not performing steadily. So it was already difficult back in 2016. And it's gotten much more difficult in the past year. She does say I'm okay for now. I'm living in Chicago with my boyfriend working at a bakery waiting for my industry to reopen. And Maddie, I will ping you when things go back to performing and stage shows are happening again. Let's catch up. And boy would I love to come see you. So here is my interview with Maddie. And I'm calling her Madeline at the beginning for some reason. But here is our interview from five years ago. Natalie Trumbull, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm excited to talk to you.

 

Maddy Trumble  4:40

Oh, thanks for having me, Stacy.

 

Stacey Simms  4:42

I have so many questions about performing and what it's like. But let me back up to more of the beginning of your story. Because you grew up with type one when were you diagnosed? Yeah,

 

Maddy Trumble  4:54

I actually was diagnosed

 

technically on the first day of kindergarten. So

 

My dog shot had just been diagnosed. I don't know how I can't really remember I was four. My dog had been diagnosed with diabetes that summer. My mom has a PhD in child psychology. So she This is before the internet, they had all these, you know, medical journals. And you had done lots of research on diabetes bushi knew, you know, the symptoms, like going to the bathroom lot and being really thirsty. And I remember, we went to a friend's birthday party at it was like in a park and the bathroom was like up a really long walk up a really steep hill. And I just remember I went to the bathroom. And of course, like two hours, like six or seven times, I remember walking up that hill. And I remember that was when my mom was like, I think Celine may be up so when I went to the doctor to kind of get all your shots and tests for when you start school. And I was like, Can you just throw in a type 1 diabetes test and so confusing. I found out on the first day of kindergarten. And luckily my blood sugar was not so high that I actually didn't have to be hospitalized. I think it's pretty, as I've heard, it's pretty unusual. But that was the first 15 minutes for that. I just celebrated 22 years. Wow, man. I mean, diabetes. Yeah. 22 years. I'm,

 

Stacey Simms  6:27

what was your dog's name? That was fast. They went by fast.

 

Maddy Trumble  6:30

Oh, the document was shosh it's um, it's, it's, it's some other language for there. I can't remember. My mom is a fuzzy, hippie. hippie. We're from Berkeley, California. Yeah. shosh. So what was it that

 

Stacey Simms  6:48

was it funny to have a dog with diabetes and a kid with dijet confuse your friends at all?

 

Maddy Trumble  6:54

No. Well, we used to, like, you know, we used to do our shots together. And I would give shosh her shot. And then I get my shot. It was kind of cute. We were bosom buddies. Yeah. I can

 

Stacey Simms  7:07

imagine from your perspective, that was pretty helpful in a way. I mean, you had a buddy.

 

Maddy Trumble  7:11

Yeah, definitely. I'm like, yeah. I mean, it's so hard to remember. But I do remember giving our shots. And then I think I was I was giving myself my own shots. And I like after a couple of weeks. You know, I know that takes a lot of kids a long time. And I think that made it a little easier. But I had, you know, I've been given my dog her shot for a little while. And so yeah, it was like, I think it made the transition a little easier. in a weird way. But that's fun. Yeah, I don't think about that often. And my dog having diabetes, I completely forgot. Yeah.

 

Unknown Speaker  7:51

What kind of dog? What was shosh?

 

Maddy Trumble  7:54

Oh, gosh, she's a big month. She was big and like really big and had long black hair? Not quite sure.

 

Stacey Simms  8:01

Um, well, for is very young to be diagnosed. I mean, I understand that you don't have a lot of, you know, memories other than going up and down that Yeah. Do you remember growing up with type one? It's hard to ask again at that age, if it changed anything for you. But did you accept it pretty well? Do you? Did your friends do okay with it?

 

Maddy Trumble  8:23

Yeah, I yeah. It's tough to remember. I think I did. I never saw it. I remember that when I was diagnosed, I was the first time I remember at least seeing my parents cry. And I remember thinking that was weird because I didn't know what the big deal was because I was just like my dog. But I and I, like I said, I started giving myself my own shots for right away anyway, I don't think I ever saw it kind of as a as a disability or something I had to deal with. I think I kind of saw it as more of something that made me special. And like every summer starting that when I was five that you know, the next year, we went to diabetes camp, we went to a family camp for a few years. And so that was always like, not a good thing. But it you know, brought opportunities and I met lots of friends that I wouldn't have met if I didn't have it. Yeah, and I don't really remember from being kids the bad times, which is good. You know, that kind of came later. Like when I became a teenager and started having some denial that disease would never go away, which is really, I still have a hard time dealing with that. But when I was a kid, it was like what am I doing on shots and my friends thought it was cool and all my friends wanted to learn how to work and then when I got a pump in middle school, my friends all wanted to learn how to give my money Insulet in case I know in case I ever needed them in an emergency. There's always a kind of an opportunity for i don't know if i You know, as a negative in my life, that kind of came later, I totally understand that my

 

Stacey Simms  10:06

son was diagnosed very young at age two, and we're just getting now to the point where he's, he's in middle school. And he's kind of like, you know, used to be diabetes. And I love my friends from camp and, you know, I just yeah, natural for a teenager to be excited about it would be a little different, in a way.

 

Maddy Trumble  10:25

Yeah, it's definitely like, if it gets old, you're like, Oh, this isn't going away.

 

Stacey Simms  10:31

So when did you know you wanted to? When did you know you were interested in theater? Is that something that you always remember? Or did something happen when you were a kid to flip that switch?

 

Maddy Trumble  10:42

No, that was always my dad was an actor. He My dad is my dad is deaf. And so he kind of became an actor, kind of by accident. He was not never went to school for it. But back in the 80s, when Children of a Lesser God was on Broadway they needed there's one. There's one character in the show who is deaf, but needs to have very good speech. And my dad speaks really well. It's really good speech for a deaf person. And anyway, so they, I can't remember the exact story. But somehow he fell into this Broadway show. And he lived in New York for a while and, and he was like a lover of musical theater, and so was my mom. So we just like always had it growing up. I remember my first one. I mean, I was obsessed with the Wizard of Oz, and all the old movie musicals. I was little. And I don't think it never was like a decision was made. And then my mom, I'm from the Bay Area from Berkeley. And there's a ton of great community theater there. And so my brother and I, just one day, my mom was like what we should you should go audition for Annie Get Your Gun, which, you know, has kids in it. And we went an audition and I think singing in the rain with the I had an umbrella as a prop. Yeah, and my brother and I, we both were. Both were cast in the show. And kind of that's sort of what changed it. I was seven, and he was not. And we both really fell in love. And then my little sister too, eventually started doing it. And she's still acting out. She's on the sound of music tour. Going around America right now. So yeah, I was always in a family is there? We all did it. We all did shows together. made it easier for my mom, she has like one place to dry. That's cool.

 

Stacey Simms  12:35

So you have three have a brother and sister.

 

Maddy Trumble  12:38

Yeah, there's the three of us. Yeah.

 

Stacey Simms  12:40

I have a very ignorant question. But you said your father loves musical theater. It's hard for me to understand how someone who's deaf can have that sort of appreciation. Can you can you try to explain some of that to

 

Maddy Trumble  12:52

me more? Yeah, I remember him talking about. I mean, he's an actor and he and to us musical theater is so much about the music, but if you've watched he like loves Jim Kelly and Fred Astaire, and he loves finding crowds, Barbra Streisand, because she's such a fantastic actor, and she, her hands, her fingers and her fingernails. I don't know if anyone loves Barbra Streisand as much as I do. But she is the longest fingers and uses her hands in a really interesting way. And so my dad, it's all visual for him. You know, he can't hear the music. But you know, engine Kelly is so fun to watch. You could watch him without music, and it would still be entertaining. I think it's like the visuals in musical theater. And he was an actor. So we talked about what to do with your hands and how hands are really important, obviously, for him to that's how he talks. But yeah, so is the visuals in musical theater. I think more for him. And this style of acting, I suppose also, because it's can be a bit more exaggerated and lots of which is something that would speak to him, I suppose. I've never asked him about that. But he was really into Gene Kelly singing in the rain was like another one of my favorites. Oh,

 

Stacey Simms  14:12

I've seen that movie a million times my sister and I, we had we had in the olden days, we taped it off of PBS one time with our VCR. And we went over and over again. And when I see it now I wait for the pause, because there was a pledge drive when we taped it. And so in the 40 minutes or so they were interrupted for 20 minutes. So I know where those pauses come at is such a

 

Maddy Trumble  14:41

fun drive. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

 

Stacey Simms  14:43

So. So tell me a little bit about performing though, with type 1 diabetes as a as a teenager as a kid. I mean, I imagine you had to do a few things to help yourself out. Can you talk about that?

 

Maddy Trumble  14:55

Yeah, I'm not really. I'm trying to think of A story from when I was a kid, I'm not really remembering. The only thing I remember, I just, I got a pump in the summer before sixth grade, which is when I played anime and anime. And I remember having to do that and having it show through my costume. And that was honestly that for me as a kid again, I've been you know, no big deal. That was the biggest deal. I remember thinking. So you know, when you are, when you're performing, you usually have to wear a microphone as well. So it's like you have one extra machine on you. Anyway, so that's what I remember. I'm trying to think of something that happens maybe that I,

 

Stacey Simms  15:48

that's okay. I'm just curious. Did your parents like when you're performing? Do they want you to check your blood sugar before? Did you have snacks backstage?

 

Maddy Trumble  15:56

Or do yeah, that kind of thing? Yeah. Yeah, it's tough one. Because when I, I've been lucky enough to get to play a lot of these in shows and who don't really leave the stage. I'm just thinking, like, when I played Mary Poppins. I also have no problem I kind of really rely on you have a dresser who kind of needs you backstage? Every time you're off stage to give you water and and you know, if you need to change your costume or fix your makeup, they're kind of there. But you're never really offstage for more than no 20 seconds. Wow. So I'd always Yeah, so I've been you know, they always had glucose tabs or juice. And I would always, and when I was a kid, too, I'd put, I'd have like a little box on either side of the stage and in my dressing room. And yeah, cuz it's really, I mean, it's scary to be low, no matter what. But it's really scary to be low. And you're in the middle of the show and doing a dance number. And I've never had any major. Anything. I've never been so well. But there's been a couple times where it just gets it gets a little scary. And you can't leave the stage Really? Yeah, I remember one time Mary Poppins we were doing steppin time, which is this huge, like 12 minute long tap numbers. And I was starting to feel low, and then it kind of really hit me in the middle of that ever, which is a really, really bad time. And then you don't leave the stage again for another 10 minutes. And I've never, I've always a thought every time I do a show like I'm going to have there's going to be a point where I leave the stage or I'm going to have to stop and it's just going to have to be okay. Because it's just gonna have to be okay, because that's the most important thing is not the show is my health. But I've been lucky I haven't had to, do you

 

Stacey Simms  17:47

ever think about keeping, like glucose tabs in your costume? Because, you know, I know Mary Poppins can't be eating in the middle step in time, but you could like sneak it. Yeah, something like that.

 

Maddy Trumble  17:58

No, I never did. That's a good. There was always something. I guess if I if I'm in if I'm ever in a show where I can't leave the page for a long time I will 100% have to have something But Mary Poppins was that that one scene was strange when I was low, because I was on stage for like 20 minutes straight. Usually there's, I could run off stage as I needed to. And there's always someone nearby. And you know, I always tell everyone on the first day stage management just so they know. And everyone's always very understanding. I'm always so curious about it. And I should come to rehearsals with like a brochure. It's on the literature. But I just tell them and they're usually Yeah, I've not had any crazy, crazy thing I've had to deal with yet.

 

Stacey Simms  18:52

Do you have a blood shock? Yeah. Do you have a blood sugar goal? And you certainly don't need to share specific numbers with us that you'd like to be in or range that you'd like to be in when you are performing at the beginning of the show?

 

Maddy Trumble  19:05

Sure. Yeah, definitely. I, I mean, normal for me is like a little higher a thing than most people's. I like using one and 150 and right before the podcast. I was 137. So I'm patting myself on the back. But definitely the before show, because the adrenaline and everything. It's so easy and just running around and I just did last year I did a vivo which is and I played Eva Peron, which is the lead and like she really, I mean, I left the stage a lot. But every time I was backstage, I was changing my costume and my wig. And so it was just really there was never a moment to sit down. Never a moment test my blood. So I'd like to start ideally, like around I feel like around 200 because my buzzer is not going to go up when I'm doing a show. So I'm going to go down. So that will be the ideal. Do you

 

Unknown Speaker  20:07

always have? Yeah.

 

Stacey Simms  20:08

Do you wear an insulin pump during the show? Still? You kind of mentioned that earlier. Just curious to do do you keep it on under your costume?

 

Maddy Trumble  20:18

Yeah, I do. I'm trying to think if I, I think I took it off for a veto, because that one was so short, the first act of like, the first and second act are both about an hour. And there were so many costume changes. And so it's so much running around. I think I did take it off of that one. We have Mary Poppins also, I think it would be different with costumers are so fantastic and can figure out where to place it. But with Mary Poppins I wore, there was no way anyone was going to see the Mary Poppins I had two microphones, because it gives you one, you use one, but then you have a backup in case the first one dies or goes dead because there's isn't time to change your microphones. So I have two microphones and my insulin pump, but no one saw because I had these huge dresses and a buffalo so they kind of I usually put them like in the like on the small my back. So no one's gonna see them because, but I'm trying to think if there's ever had a costume where I was worried about it being seen, I don't think so. I've been lucky to be very close in all my shows.

 

Unknown Speaker  21:24

Okay, yeah.

 

Unknown Speaker  21:25

What kind of pump do you use?

 

Maddy Trumble  21:26

I have a mini med. I've had a mini med forever. A mini med paradigm. It's purple. It's very pretty.

 

Stacey Simms  21:39

Do you use a continuous glucose monitor with it?

 

Maddy Trumble  21:42

You know, I don't know. But I have a girlfriend in New York, who I actually met in Chelsea Market. I don't know if you went there when you were there. So it's really cool to just like walk through market. There's the IMF. And we were in the bathroom until the market and this girl was like really beautiful red hair, and exact. And she had like a really cool outfit on. And she had the purple tongue, like, on the outside of her pants, which I thought was really cool. And because I never wear like you can never see my pump. It's always somewhere hidden. And she was just wearing it on her jeans or their cool outfit. And I just said I was like, Oh, I like your pump. I have the same one. And first of all, for me to start a conversation with anybody on the streets in New York is really unusual. But I'm so glad I did. Because she was like, I just moved to New York. And I you know, I'm just wondering, like, Can I get your phone number and maybe we can hook up for lunch. And it turned out that we had a lot of friends in common because she's also in theater. And anyway, she's like, become my girlfriend. What was I saying? Oh, I just hung out with her the other day. And she just got a Dexcom. And she has a an Apple Watch. And she was just showing me she was like, Look, I'm just looking at my watch. And it tells me what my blood sugar is. So I do not have a continuous glucose monitor. And my mom has been trying to convince me for years to get one. But I just always been weird about having a second machine attached to me. But it's so clear. My friend Claire was showing me it's so small and I don't know, I'm gonna have to really think about it because it seems like kind of a really cool thing.

 

Stacey Simms  23:18

Well, we've used our since for three years now. So if you would like to know the opinion of someone who's No, he was nine when he started. So he can you know, I do I think that the there there are. had to say this. I really Okay, so first thing is I'm the parent, right? I'm not the person with diabetes, right? So I of course love it, because it helps me take care of him in a way that finger sticks, you know, didn't give me the window that I wanted. But my perspective is not his you know, he likes it because he doesn't finger stick as much. And everybody uses it differently. And it's not labeled to not do finger sticks yet. But um, but that's really why if you ask him, that's what he likes it and it gets this mother off his back because I can just see his numbers. I don't have to ask him what's going on.

 

Maddy Trumble  24:11

Can you see that on your phone? Yes. Or Oh, wow, that's crazy.

 

Stacey Simms  24:15

Yeah, so he was right with the current Dexcom. He can have it on his cell phone or receiver. And that I can see it on my cell phone. And he is the one who wears the watch. He has a Pebble watch, which is a little less expensive than the Apple Watch. And he wears a watch so he can see it and it's more discreet for him in school. He doesn't want to pull out his cell phone. because nobody's allowed to have a cell phone at school. So he keeps his cell phone his backpack and then you can just look at his watch. But for us the best thing about the Dexcom is seeing trends, you know, because he's overnight his number, bananas because of puberty and everything else. And it That to me is the number one advantage is you really get a window. Yeah, you know, and I've already done a commercial for Dexcom in this podcast. So that's another one

 

Maddy Trumble  25:01

Yeah, I think it's something I definitely need to look into it. I have an appointment next week with my endocrinologist and Dave and Dave also want me to get I have a new one this year, but a new endocrinologist, he's been trying to convince me, I mean, it seems like a pretty cool thing. thing. I was just so hesitant, because what's also hard, I've had diabetes for so long. And I've kind of been doing the same thing the whole time. And the thought of having something else come in and kind of interrupt What I know is scary. But, but also at the same time I've seen technology grow. Because in the last 20 years, that's, that's when I first started my first meter was 45, it might have been 60 seconds. I mean, 60 seconds, and like a huge drop of blood, and then 45, and then 30, and then 15. And now five, and you know, then I got the pump. And it's certain point and so, but for the last 15 years or so I've been I've been doing the same thing. So that's what scares me. But I really should welcome it. And it's exciting. And sometimes I don't always feel when I'm getting high. And I'll test and I'll be shocked. So I think that would be a good thing to have, because it was kind of right, you know, yeah, I have alerts for you as well. We love it. But

 

Stacey Simms  26:19

at the same time, I totally understand what you're saying. I mean, you're you know, I have a lot of friends, who it's funny when you when you have somebody in your family who's diagnosed suddenly everybody comes out of the woodwork and you realize that you knew people. And I have a friend who Yeah, he tested one of the first pumps when he was in middle school. And it was a painful process. I mean, this is 30 years ago. So he it turned them off for pumps forever. And then he's got a pump in his 40s. He didn't want he just didn't want to do what he was doing fine control and he loves it. But you know, if he didn't, he will go back to what he was doing before. So you don't. Here's mom's advice. You

 

Unknown Speaker  26:52

do what's right for you. You know,

 

Stacey Simms  26:54

go check it out. Don't feel pressured. But yeah, cool. Is it that you made a friend? It's always funny when you see people with a pump or checking. Because you know, sometimes you don't want to be weird. But it's so cool that you are able to say something nice, great.

 

Maddy Trumble  27:09

Yeah. I feel like I see them all the time on the subway. And I never, I never Yeah, never want to say anything. But some reason she we looked like we were taught from the same cloth. So I yeah, I'm glad I said hi. And maybe I will again next time I see the Father.

 

Stacey Simms  27:27

So how did you get to New York? I mean, I know it's a long process. But as you mentioned, you're from you're from Berkeley. Yeah. And you were performing as a kid. But you know, a lot of people try to make it in theater. What was the I mean, not the whole process of

 

Unknown Speaker  27:42

how did you do it?

 

Maddy Trumble  27:45

Yeah, I grew up doing theater and my mom is so incredibly supportive. It's I I don't know how she and she loves theater. And it was never a question of, should I do this or anyway, so I found out I think we were in New York City. When I was in high school, we were seeing some shows. And I started noticing that people and their buyers and playbills were listing where they went to school. And I think I didn't even really know that you could use a major even got a BFA in musical theater, and I didn't know that that you could even do that. I think I kind of figured you had to go to NYU for acting or, you know, I didn't know any better. And so I was seeing BIOS, and I was seeing all these people. So many people have the University of Michigan in their bio. So I went up to a couple people after the show that season door and chatted with them about an actor's are so nice. And you know, they talk to you about the schools they went to. And so I looked into Michigan, they had a summer program for rising seniors. So the summer before my senior year, I did a three week musical theater intensive with the head of the University of Michigan Department of musical theater. So I did that. And then I love the school. I love the faculty and I audition, and I think three of us on this on our program got into the school. So I went to the University of Michigan for musical theater, and I did that for four years. And that was a tough four years. Because I've never, I had never really had any sort of training or I took voice lessons here and there and some acting classes, you know, maybe every other year, but I never I just did shows because it was fun. I just, I liked to be in plays and to all of a sudden be in a university setting where I was being graded on my acting and my singing and dancing was so strange to me. So I kind of had a hard adjustment and you know, it's an incredibly competitive environment. You know, there's there were 19 people in my class. Here's a group of like, 100 kids and everyone wants To be on Broadway and everybody wants to get the part in the show. And yeah, it was definitely a hard it was a hard. Four years. I think that that's what made me grow so much. And anyway, so I did four years at university. And then I did we did a senior showcase, which a lot of musical theater programs do, they put together like a 45 minute show, and everyone gets a couple minutes to kind of show themselves and what they do best. So some people in my class dance. Some people did like, you know, a little song and dance on people. I did I just sit there and saying, because that's what I do. And a bunch of industry people come agents and casting directors. And so from that I got an agent. Most people find was an agent, but then also from that, which doesn't always happen, but I got an audition for Mary Poppins, the casting director of Mary Poppins came to the showcase. And he actually called it up like pretty much all the girls from my class, went in an audition, and I had an audition and it went fine. But then I went away for the summer. And I never heard anything, never heard anything. And then I got a call all of a sudden, I was doing a show in St. Louis, during summer stuff, and they said Hi, can you come in for a callback or Mary Poppins? It's this day, so I had to take time off from St. Louis and go to this audition, and I got, I got the cell, like, right away. They called me when I was walking out of my audition. And they said, it was Thursday. And they said, Can you start rehearsal when Monday, so So I started on Monday. So that'll happen. It's so incredibly fast. And that was I did a tour twice. I toured with Mary Poppins two times. So this is the first time I did it. I got so I don't know if it was luck or timing or something. But so I did that tour for six months. And then we closed and then I moved to New York City. So I moved to New York City kind of in a great spot. I had all these friends in the industry. And I've gotten to save up some money. And I lived with a girl that I had toured with. And I was really lucky to have a lot of people moved to New York City, they go for their senior showcase. And then they're just there and they have the like my little sister did that she went and she did her showcase. And she got an agent, and then she had to find a restaurant job and and somehow come up with rent money because living in New York is so expensive. And I was incredibly lucky that my Find New York journey kind of started off. And it also started off a little late. And it was cool that I got to go to New York and I had a show on my resume. So auditioning was a little easier. And yeah, I definitely was a very long winded story.

 

Stacey Simms  32:44

No, that was great. That was great. And, but but and then after you move to New York, you understudied and we're in a few other plays. Right? You were in Newsies. And you were in wicked.

 

Maddy Trumble  32:54

Yeah, well, so I'm trying to think. So I moved to New York, and kind of right away, I think I've been there for six months. And then I got Newsies really quickly. And I did that for a few months. And then I did Mary Poppins again. And then I taught again, and then I came back to New York. And then I did wicked, and I actually did the tour of wicked. And then I tore it again with wicked, and then I came back. So I've been in and out of New York, since I got here. People asked me how long I've been in New York, and I feel like I'm lying to them. When I say five years. It's really not. It's really an often that long. The Yeah, so everything just kind of happened really fast. When I got really lucky, kind of right away. And then this, these last two years, I worked the I left wicked about two years ago, these last few years have been pretty slow, which has been tough to to deal with, because I had so much success so fast. And this is kind of right now I'm experiencing what most young actors experience in New York, kind of like, I go to audition pretty much every week, and they go well, and there's always some reason you don't get it really stupid. Like the last one, I was too tall. For one before that I was too young, which is good. At least I wasn't too old. You know, I've never had to do with talent, and I'm still getting used to the rejection is tough. I'm getting better at realizing that it's really not about me, it's not personal.

 

Unknown Speaker  34:27

But let me ask you that.

 

Maddy Trumble  34:29

No, I was gonna say it's tough. When you're in New York with 1000s of other fantastic actresses. You can be as specific as you want, you know, you don't have to sort of make any sort of concessions. The casting directors are like, I want that person to have shorter hair, so that then they can find that person. So, you know, it's really tough, and there's so many talented people, so I'm just really lucky that I'm in a spot where I know I have girlfriends and boyfriends who aren't even. They don't even they aren't even getting the audition. They want, you know, they're like, a whole step further behind me in a way, you know, because I'm the least, I haven't been getting the audition. That's like, that's step one. And that's really tough to even get the audition. Because if you think about, there's 1000s of people, and you know, hundreds of agents submitting their clients for one audition, so they can only see 10 people. So the fact that I even get to audition is like a great feat. So I'm at least thankful for that. But I was like a job that

 

Stacey Simms  35:29

well, and that leads me to what I was going to ask, which is, yeah, as a parent of a child with type one, I'm listening to this. And I'm thinking, how is she paying for her supplies? And I'm trying to do the math, are you and I, this is a super nosy questions, I don't have to answer him. Are you? Are you on your parent's insurance? Like how do you do this?

 

Maddy Trumble  35:49

Okay, so I was on my parent's insurance. But then I turned 26. Right. So that was last year. So then all of a sudden, so I get my health insurance, we have fantastic health insurance, that we get it through the union through the actors equity Association, and the insurance they give us is so great. It's incredibly affordable. And the diabetes supplies are actually like, we have a really great deal with them. And I don't really pay anything for my insulin or my strips, which is kind of agnostic. And anyway, but you get I get up to my union. So you have to, they give you insurance, based on the amount of weeks you worked in a year. So this year, I have literally worked five weeks, and you need 11 weeks to get six months of insurance, or 19 weeks to get a year. So I am losing my insurance January 1, which is super scary. And it just kind of adds a whole other element. So when I go into these auditions, I have to stop doing this. But I keep thinking like the stakes are so high for me for so many reasons. Because I'd love a job. I'd love money. But also I really just need to work so I can keep my insurance, my fantastic insurance. So thank goodness for Obamacare and not being able to refuse people because of you know, pre existing conditions, because I don't know what I would do if that was the case. But yeah, scary. So January 1, but I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll have to figure something out. But yeah, I know, it's been incredibly affordable the last few years, which is great. And then I think January 1 that will change. Super disappointing. Yeah, I yeah, it's that's kind of always been like me, you know, I watched the week's take away this last year, I would watch them go and every audition I'd go to I'd be like, okay, it starts the state and then finishes the state. So if I get it, I'd have enough weeks to Yeah, but um, yeah, no, I, I lost it this year. So that's kind of been tough. And that more than anything else has made you kind of reevaluate if this is the right thing to do, because I shouldn't I don't know, shouldn't it shouldn't be about that. When I'm auditioning and singing and acting. It shouldn't be about getting health insurance. But that's kind of what it's been about for the last year. And it's just Yeah, kind of stressful. And

 

Stacey Simms  38:15

it's such a common, unfortunately, such a common thought among people with any chronic condition. And I hear all the time in the doors community, that people are staying in jobs, they don't want, you know, where they're, they're working for money that they need to only go to insurance. And yeah, that's that is tough stuff. Yeah, let's talk a little bit. I don't want to completely change the subject here. But okay, and this is another nosy question. So since you're just you haven't, you've done a lot of additions this year, but haven't had study theater work. Did you? Did you take another job? Did you take a waitressing job? That's kind of stuff.

 

Maddy Trumble  38:49

Yeah, so I don't think I've been super smart about it. I have a lot of money saved up from touring. Because when you tour you get a per diem. And your paycheck, you kind of just get the pocket your paycheck, which is pretty fantastic. So I have like a lot of savings from three years of touring. So I've kind of been living off of that. And it's tricky, because every time I have an audition, and have a callback, and then have a second and third callback, which happens all the time, I'm like, Oh, I'm gonna get it. So I keep putting off getting a real like high paying sort of side job. But yes, I have. I do like I have a little teeny tiny part time job at soulcycle, which is fitting studio, which I loved so much. But I'm kind of in the process of thinking about what else I should do. I used to take headshots, which I take pictures for actors, which is kind of a great thing to do on the side for money and I haven't done that in a couple years because I don't know I just have not sure why. But I'm thinking about doing that kind of just to make some extra money now to pay for my health insurance. And I luckily have not had to waitress yet. I think I would be pretty terrible at it. I'm going to avoid that it's kind of the best. That's the best way to make money. I mean, my sister was doing that before she left on tour and was putting saving money in the bank. But she's working really hard. And I would I just I don't I would not want to be a server in New York, I think it would be a tough job. New Yorkers are tough. And especially when they're eating, they want things to be perfect. Standards are really high. I'm not sure I'd be good at that. That's funny. And I've been little side jobs. Like I do little temp things, and I babysit sometimes. And but yes, I've had to kind of pick up some stuff to make some extra money. Because, yeah, see,

 

Stacey Simms  40:51

I heard from a few people, I put it on on. I put on Facebook that I was talking with you. And you've actually answered most questions that people had, which were about, you know, performing with Lowe's and, you know, hiding glucose and things like that, and would pump you Yeah, but I think a lot of the kids look at this and think, Wow, what a glamorous career. And I really want to do that. And listen, if you are you interested in theater, you are passionate about it. But I hate to say I'm glad to hear you talking about that. Because it's not a side of the working actor that we hear a lot about.

 

Maddy Trumble  41:22

No, that's not and it's not something I ever thought about. or even in college, you know, they say we'd have people come in and chat, but the people who would come in so they'd have masterclasses and, and lab with, you know, alumni, but all the ones who came in are the ones who are working consistently and live really glamorous lives and who make a lot of money. No one ever came in and said, sometimes you don't make money. And sometimes it's stressful. And sometimes you lose your health insurance. And sometimes you really get, you know, when you're going on. I mean, I haven't gotten and I pretty much had an audition every week, and gotten called back for a year. And now I haven't gotten anything for over a year. So that is hard. Just the rejection is really tough. Because I'm pretty good at laughing about it. It takes usually takes a day, I usually have to go to bed, I get really sad. And then I go to bed and I wake up the next morning. I'm like, okay, I can do this. Yeah, it's tough though. When you it's constant. It's constant nose. And that's tough. And I go back and forth between blaming myself because surely not my fault. But it's hard when you know you. And when you see all your friends kind of succeeding. And, you know, which is it? I hate that I hate comparing myself to them and feeling like I'm competing with other people. Because you're really I mean, you are, but you're not. And so it's tough. It's really tough. But that one is good. It's so good. So, yeah. David think that's Yeah, that's Yeah, got to be so normal and so awful in those groups when people are working and people aren't working. It's gonna be crazy. Yeah. Yeah. And it's funny, because we're all at a different place. Like I said, You know, I have girlfriends who like they would kill to be having the audition, but I have, but then one of my best friends, you know, just turned down at a Broadway show, because, you know, he's kind of at a different level than me. And he decided that wasn't really what he wants to be doing. And, you know, so that's his heartbreak is that he, you know, they wouldn't give him enough money to do the show he wanted to do. So, you know, I have a hard time sympathizing with that, but also have to realize that everyone's in a different days. Sorry, my alarm just went off. Anyway, so I just, you know, everyone is dealing with their own. Yeah, you know, and I have another friend who I just auditioned for him last week, he's, you know, supervising a show I want to do, or that I was auditioning for, and I didn't get it. And I, you know, texted him and I said, I'm sad. I didn't get it. And I don't really know what to do anymore. And, you know, I can't catch a break. And he goes, Yeah, I'm not Angelou, I understand. I'm with you. I can't even get the auditions I want. And in my head, I like but I just, I audition for you. And but he's still, you know, he wants to be auditioning for other new Broadway shows, and he can't get those auditions and blah, blah, blah. So anyway, everyone's got their own heartbreak, you know, kind of no matter what level you're at, but then when it good and when I get to be playing my dream roles and getting paid to, you know, do like sing these, this music, music I want to say like when I got to play when I got to do a veto, which is like my dream role. And it's like, fantastic. And when I get to be recovered and people are so impressed with me because I'm in liquid, you know, then it's great, but then so that makes it worth it. I suppose but I'm kind of right now I'm kind of trying to decide. Just how worth it it is. Yeah. It's just tough.

 

Stacey Simms  45:09

Yeah, you're at a crossroads. That's really wild.

 

Unknown Speaker  45:11

Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

 

Stacey Simms  45:13

Well, am I interested to keep talking to you over the next couple years? Who knows what will happen? So this time of year, I was trying to think, and I'll edit this part out, but I will I may end up running this during right before Thanksgiving. So that'll either set up or take at this next question. So for many people, yeah, for many people, their their yearly or their biggest exposure to theater, is that Macy's Day Parade where Broadway performers, you know, walk down the street in New York, it's amazing. And they're every show has a musical number. And I DVR this every year and fast forward through nonsense and just watch the musical numbers. Have you ever heard up is that I mean, that's gonna be freezing and hard work, and You're up early. But everybody's always smiling. And it looks like a lot of fun. What's

 

Maddy Trumble  46:06

that? Oh, no, I have not done that. Because I have not been lucky enough to be in a show that's happening during that time. But But I you know, it's such a little teeny tiny world we live in. So I'm friends with like, everyone who does those shows, and everyone puts her does the parade. Yeah, I heard it's pretty freezing. And they all look, they all look so happy. But I think it is kind of like, that's a cool thing to do. When you're like, oh my god on a day to day parade. I that's kind of what this business when you get to work in it. It's kind of constant. Things like I I watched other people do this, and I was a kid. Like, and so that's pretty cool. You're like, oh, neither am I like Julian coming through. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I think that's kind of what people are, like, out here. It's cold. Like, I used to sit at home, you know, every day, every morning. And, and like, I remember back in Mary Poppins, I got to play San Francisco. And I was like, I used to come and like, watch people. Like, I used to come and watch people on stage. And like, now little kids are watching me. Like, that's pretty cool. And like that's why that's like why you do it? I mean, you we do it because we love it so much not because it's easier not to have you get paid well, or it's like we'd love it so much. And I have always loved it. And like I think all of us if we could do anything else, I if I could do anything else, I would do it. But I don't really want to. So yeah, I'm still here. When you're

 

Stacey Simms  47:37

talking about performing for those kids, and you weren't one of those kids, once you know, watching the show in San Francisco, I know that you've met some kids after the show who have type 1 diabetes, more and probably elsewhere, what's that like for you?

 

Maddy Trumble  47:54

Well, first of all, they're also going to be better at taking care of themselves. And I am, I'm so impressed with all of them. They're super inspirational, because I what and it's cool because like I it is I never realized that I'm talking about it today that I didn't used to. It's not used to get me down, even before when it was harder to take care of it. Like in the 90s when it took 45 seconds for my, my, my resolve to come out. But I didn't used to like let it get me down. And these kids don't either. It's just something cool about them. It's something different and something they get to talk about and something that their friends don't have that makes them special. So it's always like, I think with anything when you meet kids who are like you are it's the same with performing like when I you know, every once in a while when I get to teach classes or kids who are actors, like they just took a song and they want it I don't do it because like, they want to make money or they want to win an award. They just do because they love it. And I think it's cool to like meet kids who, like remind you of you and remind you that like Yeah. Yeah, and it's but it's, it's cool, because I remember my role models. There was this like girl group called the punk girls, oh my gosh, I wonder what happened to them. They had like a CV and they all had diabetes. And, you know, I'm trying to think I didn't have any role models with diabetes. I didn't have anyone to look up to did what I did, who had diabetes, you know, like if they'll if they did it, and it was no problem for them. So that's kind of cool. I don't know that I fancy myself a role model, but I hope I can be. You are definitely Yeah.

 

Stacey Simms  49:37

I have. I have a I have a Facebook question for you. So Trish writes on Facebook, my high school theater major loves her meeting you Maddie and she wants to know if you have an education program for rising stars. I mean is there is there no, you went to college for this, but there is

 

Maddy Trumble  50:00

Do you mean at a college level?

 

Stacey Simms  50:01

I would think either a college level a summer program, you know, something that you recommend to kids get on the track.

 

Maddy Trumble  50:08

Oh, gosh. There's so many musical theater apartments now, so many more than one. I feel like there's new ones popping up all the time. I University mission was great. It's the faculty is kind of all changed now. And I'm not quite sure exactly how the department's being run. Oh, my gosh, there's so many I would say. And there's so many that we think we need to go to like, I thought I needed to go to Michigan. And obviously, I went there for a reason. But the I know people who go to smaller schools and who love them, and people who go to big universities and love them, I think it's about like doing all the research. Also, it's probably so easy. Now with that there's probably so many resources on the internet. I'd say do the research and visit if you can and see which works best for you kind of think it's like training programs like it's like classes. I have a friend who has a business who, oh, gosh, this is terrible that I can't remember it. I'll post it on the Facebook groups. He has a business where he takes him and he takes other like, Broadway folks with him and Broadway stars. And they'll go and travel to schools and high schools. And I know there's a couple organizations that do this. And they'll teach classes, and they'll perform for you guys. I did it one time, I went to a little teeny tiny, tiny town in Texas. They were doing Mary Poppins and I taught a master class. I think it's called straight out of New York, this is the worst answer ever. You're gonna have to add up just send it to me too. I haven't taken a class and so long, I probably should maybe it would be better my ambitions if I took a class. But yeah, you know, I wouldn't even know where to tell someone where to start. Gosh, I will think about that. And I will get back to that person on the Facebook page. That would be great.

 

Stacey Simms  52:05

How funny. There was also a question about, you must have a pretty crazy schedule, even when you're just auditioning, you know, you don't have a regular nine to five. So the question of how do you manage diabetes? Do you have a routine or a special diet or you know, anything that helps you out?

 

Maddy Trumble  52:22

The short answer is no. Which I'm constantly trying to be better and trying to. To find that routine. But yeah, it's tricky because every day is different. Some days I so I work at a gym, essentially. And we asked exam classes with somebody that has to be there at 530 in the morning. But then other days I like today I slept in and tomorrow I'll sleep in. And then the next day, I wake up at four in the morning. And so everyday is so different. Yeah, it's tricky. And I kind of I just test a lot, which is why I should get the Dexcom I test a lot and I try to keep up with everything. Yeah, there's it's tough when there's no routine. And as far as diet goes, I try my hardest to kind of I'm also vegetarian, which doesn't really have any effect on diabetes, but but I feel like I maybe eat more carbs than the average person because I joined me. So I'm I try to I'm pretty good at counting carbs. I will say got that going for me. I do a lot a lot of carb counting a lot of like, bolus wizarding on my pump to take out my guesswork, because my guess is pretty bad. But yeah, it's a constant, constant. struggle. I still get surprised by highs more often than I'd like. I'm not low often, which is good, I guess. Yeah, I always have larb always has me always have fruit with me too. In case I need it and but yeah, no, I there's a lot of growth to be done. And yeah. I'm glad to see my other eyes on the doctors equity because I guess they need their help.

 

Stacey Simms  54:13

Well, listen, I always think it's interesting when I talk to people like you because I kind of hear you almost like apologizing that you're not like a perfect role model. It's so funny. But you know, that's what this life is all about. I mean, there are people who are absolutely amazing. And you know, they have it they seem to have it down. But I like talking to people, too, who are very realistic and understand. I mean, this is not a game of perfect

 

Maddy Trumble  54:39

Yeah, no, it's not and I think goodness, but I ya know, I apologize all the time, but I always feel guilty about it, which I need to get over that part about it because it's hard for everyone. Even my girlfriend with a Dexcom the other day she was like, I was like 300 the other day and I don't know why that made me feel better about it. But I was She's super high and she has a desktop. So yeah, if and I had a girlfriend actually, who did wicked with me who also was a diabetic, which was fine. I never worked with him before. She didn't have a problem. She had a Dexcom. And she was had such unbelievable control. She's the most like, regimented, disciplined person I've ever met. And so for her a high would be like, if she was like, in the 200. She'd be like, Oh, my God, you know, that would be a big deal for her. She really made me feel like I felt like I was constantly apologizing to her. She made me feel like the worst diabetic. Not intentionally, I did that myself. But he was really great at taking care of herself. And she ate like paleo, and she counted every car and every gram of protein and calorie and pretty incredible to watch her take care of herself. She was really good at it. Definitely an inspiration. Yeah. I will never ever be like that, even if I tried my hardest just because I don't have that personality. But it was something to aspire to. Yeah, interesting. Well,

 

Stacey Simms  56:06

it doesn't sound like you're doing half bad. I mean, I know you're not working as much as you'd like to. But it's been fantastic talking to you and learning about this life. That's very cool. So keep us posted. I might see I didn't even ask you for theater tickets or anything. I was very good.

 

Maddy Trumble  56:23

I wish I can give you some I want some to

 

Stacey Simms  56:27

Oh, I know what I forgot to say. So I just wanna let you know. Yeah. So the reason I wanted to talk to you was over the summer, Newsies came through Charlotte, and where we live. And so we all went to see it. And my son who has type one, we were watching it. And if you haven't seen it before, it's a very intensive dance show. I mean, the choreography is amazing. It's dance and gymnastics. And it's incredible. And he said to me, I wonder how somebody with type 1 diabetes would perform in a show like that? Not could they but can just how would they do it? And so that's when I went on the search to try to find somebody who'd fit on Broadway. And so how fun to find you. And you'd been in doozies. And you guys had like a kind of a mini reunion of some of the cast members right in to do like a one night performance in New York.

 

Maddy Trumble  57:12

Yeah, we just did a little like reunion concert with him last year. I think we're gonna think it's gonna be an annual thing. Yeah, some of the original, not just original, any movies? Yeah, we got together and we sing some songs that I sang with. Cara, who I did the show with. And then we did wicked together too. So we sang the song from wicked, which is kind of fun. Because it's so rare that you get to work with someone twice in this business. So yeah, it was super fun and fun to get to see all our friends again and sing songs from the show. Yeah, that's great. And we're gonna do that next year, probably sometime in the summer. So yeah. All right.

 

Stacey Simms  57:53

Very cool. Well, thank you so much for joining me. It was great to talk with you. Yeah,

 

Maddy Trumble  57:58

thanks. Thank you so much. Great.

 

Announcer  58:05

You're listening to Diabetes Connections with Stacey Simms.

 

Stacey Simms  58:11

I will link up lots of videos you can see Maddie perform, and that'll be at Diabetes. connections.com. On the episode homepage, I really, really miss shows. I mean, obviously, I'm

 

Unknown Speaker  58:22

not a performer. I

 

Stacey Simms  58:23

was a wannabe performer when I was a kid. You know, I wanted to be an actress. That changed once I realized how much talent you did need to. But I love Love, love musicals and shows and I almost this year, I seriously considered starting a second podcast all about Broadway shows. And I may still do that someday. I mean, who knows? Never say never. But we'll see. I just I miss it so much. I can't wait to go back and see people performing. There's nothing like live theater. All right. Thank you, as always to my editor john Buchanan from audio editing solutions. Thank you so much for listening our regular episodes every Tuesday, classic episodes every Thursday. So we'll see you back here in just a couple of days. Until then, be kind to yourself.

 

Unknown Speaker  59:12

Diabetes Connections is a production of Stacey Simms Media. All rights reserved. All rounds avenged.

 

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