Gymnast, NFL player couple bring live version of podcast to Oaks Theater
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The Oaks Theater is getting a pair of special visitors when Olympic gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson East and her husband former NFL player Andrew East, bring their six-date “Couple Things Live” tour to town.
The tour is a live version of their acclaimed podcast discussing love, marriage, and family life as parents of two young children, and it is being described as, “An interactive journey through never-before-shared stories, onstage games, advice, exclusive content, Q and As and more.”
Their podcast, which was launched in 2019, has skyrocketed to 1.3 million unique listeners in just a short time, has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award, has been a top trend on the Apple podcast charts, and has been praised by the New York Times as one of the top podcast listens on the topic of love and relationships.
Some of the topics that are typically discussed are overcoming challenges in life, how their faith factored into their issues with fertility, and the struggles and joys about being a parent.
Jessica Long, general manager of The Oaks Theater, said, “For the first time ever, former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and NFL player Andrew East are going on tour, bringing their hit podcast live to Oakmont. You’ve tuned in to hear them open up and share their most vulnerable selves, now is your chance to spend a night together in person.”
Johnson East is best known for winning Olympic gold in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where she placed first in women’s individual all-around and also took home a gold in the team competition. She also won a silver medal in floor exercise.
She has a litany of other awards as a gymnast, including a 2007 World Championship and a five-time a gold medalist at the Pan-American Games, where she was again the all-around champion in 2007. She’s also a three-time U.S. champion.
Johnson East was also a “Dancing With the Stars” champion in 2009 and took second place in the All-Star edition in 2012, etching her further into American popular culture and media.
East was a professional long snapper in the NFL, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Football Team after graduating from Vanderbilt. He’s also competed on a television show, being featured on “American Ninja Warrior.”
Both are looking forward to moving their podcast into the live realm, with Johnson East saying, “We’re so excited to be bringing our podcast on the road to Pittsburgh,” and East concluding, “It’s been so long since we’ve been able to see our fans in person, and we can’t wait to see everyone at The Oaks for ‘Couple Things Live.’ It will be an unforgettable night of never-before-shared stories, Q and As and so much more.”
The show is set for 8 p.m. Jan. 28 at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 (plus fees) for standard seats and $45 (plus fees) for table seating.
Tickets are available at theoakstheater.com.