Review Fix Exclusive: Robin Gelfenbien Talks ‘Yum is the Word’

June 15, 2014 Patrick Hickey Jr. Theatre 0

Review Fix chats with “Yum is the Word” creator Robin Gelfenbien, who discusses the fun storyteller series.

This month’s show will feature Joy Behar (The View), Dion Flynn (Obama on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon) and Sam Dingman (Moth Grand Slam Winner), as well as Michelle Hurst (Miss Claudette from “Orange Is the New Black”).

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for the show?

Robin Gelfenbien: I had wanted to do a storytelling show for a while, and it was important for me to do one that was unique and memorable. I wanted to consider what would keep people coming back.

My family has been making ice cream cakes for our birthdays for years. I continued that tradition with my friends, and when I saw how popular they were among friends and strangers alike, I knew I had something. That’s when I decided to blend my passion for storytelling with my passion for ice cream cakes, and Yum’s the Word was born.

From the Mad Libs to the ice cream inspired-story themes to the punny ice cream cake names, this show is a complete creative expression of who I am.

Review Fix: How does ice cream play a role in the production?

Gelfenbien: Every month we choose people in the audience who have birthdays coming up the following month to be the honored birthday guests. This entitles them to choose the flavors in one of my homemade ice cream cakes, which we serve at the end of the show for everyone to indulge in. That’s why the tagline for the show is “the storytelling show where everyone gets a piece,” and usually they get to try all three or four ice cream cakes.

Ice cream flavors also serve as the inspiration for the story themes for the night. For example, we’ve done “Rocky Road: Stories of Danger,” “Chubby Hubby: Stories from Married Couples,” and “Moose Tracks: Stories by and A‘boot’ Canadians.”

Review Fix: What was it like to work with Joy Behar, Dion Flynn and Sam Dingman?

Gelfenbien: I met Joy a month ago, and she couldn’t have been nicer and more approachable. I was thrilled when she agreed to do the show, and I can’t wait for the audience to hear her “Tough Cookie” story. I’ve known Dion and Sam for years, and they are true pros. So funny, engaging and talented.

Review Fix: How did the idea to celebrate Michelle Hurst come about?

Gelfenbien: Michelle is a friend of mine, and when she asked me if she could be one of the June birthday girls, I, of course, said yes. After the horrible car accident she was in a few months ago, she deserves to be celebrated for her incredible strength through her recovery.

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy the show the most?

Gelfenbien: It’s really hard to say. The show is all about feeding your belly (with ice cream cakes and laughs) and your inner child. Because the stories all have universal themes, there’s a lot that people can relate to, so it’s no surprise that the show appeals to people from their 20s to their 70s. Plus, there’s something about Mad Libs and ice cream cakes that transports people back to childhood, so if people are up for that, they’ll love it.

Review Fix: How do you want these shows to affect people?

Gelfenbien: I curate funny stories with heart, so when people are touched by someone’s story, that means a lot to me. The greatest compliment I can get when people leave is how much fun they had. I call myself the “Ambassador of Fun,” so if I can make people happy, I’ve done my job.

Review Fix: What are your goals for the future?

Gelfenbien: I’d like to continue to book bigger names to share their stories alongside the talented storytellers I know in this vibrant community. I’d also like to tour the show to different cities and create a TV series based on it.

Yum’s the Word presents “Tough Cookie”
Thursday, June 19th
7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7:00 p.m.)
The Gallery at LPR
158 Bleecker Street
$15 tickets can be purchased in advance at www.lprnyc.com
$20 day of the show

About Yum’s the Word:

Yum’s the Word is the only show that blends old-school fun with modern-day storytelling. Each month comedian and storyteller, Robin Gelfenbien, throws a party for audience member replete with Mad Libs, Pin the Hose on the Fireman and homemade ice cream cakes. Join Robin and some of NYC’s best storytellers for a night of funny, true stories and treats.

Photo by Cathryn Lynne

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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