January 26-28, 2024
Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts | www.Kravis.org
By Denny Patterson
Candace Bushnell, the renowned New York figure, acclaimed novelist, and mastermind behind Sex and the City, is taking audiences on a whirlwind tour of the Big Apple in her new one-woman show, True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City. From Studio 54 to the Lipstick Jungle and beyond, experience the ultimate girls’ night out and revel in tales of fashion, literature, and sex, all while Bushnell expertly serves up cosmos in Manolos.
She recently caught up with OutClique to talk about her life, career, and the show, which will play at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center January 26-28, 2024.
Denny Patterson: Candace, how excited are you to bring your one-woman show, True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City, to South Florida’s Kravis Center?
Candace Bushnell: I am super excited! The Kravis Center is legendary, and I just love South Florida. I know tons of people in West Palm Beach, so hopefully they will all come! It’s amazing to be able to do the show there.
Denny Patterson: Overall, what can audiences expect?
Candace Bushnell: The show is basically how I created Sex and the City, how hard I worked to get there, why I invented Carrie Bradshaw, and what happened to me after. We’ll play a little game, Real or Not Real, because so many things that happened on the show are a little bit better or worse than my real life, and I answer some of people’s most burning questions, like if there is a real Mr. Big. It’s also combined with a little bit of my life story. How I came to New York, as well as a couple naughty sex stories. It really is sort of that universal story of somebody who comes to New York to make it, how I wrote Sex and the City, and the success I had afterwards. I’ve gotten an incredible response to it.
Denny Patterson: Is there anything in particular you hope they take away from it?
Candace Bushnell: I have a lot of young women that come to the show, which is wonderful, but then of course, there are women my age, in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, and many have said they’ve felt very inspired. They felt happy afterwards, and that’s what I want them to take away from this show.
Denny Patterson: Can you talk about what initially inspired you to create the show and tell your story like this?
Candace Bushnell: David Foster has a manager named Mark Johnson, and he developed David’s one-man show. After meeting him, he said, I think you could do a one-woman show. This was something that I never thought of before, but this was during the pandemic, so I thought, why not? I had the time. So, I wrote it, and then it just kept snowballing. He showed it to a couple of Broadway directors, they loved it and wanted to work on it, and then we workshopped it at Bucks County Playhouse. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into. We ended up doing it Off Broadway, which was incredible, but I never envisioned this would happen. Every now and again, fabulous and expected things happen.
Denny Patterson: Looking back to when you first started writing your column, Sex and the City for The New York Observer, did you ever think it would lead you to where you are today?
Candace Bushnell: I knew that it was my big break. I’ve been writing for years in New York, and I’d already been writing professionally for 15 years because I came to New York when I was very young. I started getting published when I was 19. I had been working very hard, but I knew that this was my big break, and things kind of kept going from there.
Denny Patterson: In your opinion, what made Sarah Jessica Parker perfect for the role of Carrie Bradshaw in the TV series?
Candace Bushnell: She’s a New Yorker, so she really gets New York, which I think can be a little bit tricky because so many actresses are based in LA, and that’s a very different mentality. Sarah really gets New York. She’s so New York, and that was really fantastic. She just gets the details and vibe from it.
Denny Patterson: I must ask, do you have a shoe obsession just like Carrie?
Candace Bushnell: That’s one of the questions I answer in the show! I don’t think I do, but I have a lot of shoes, and many of them make an appearance in the show (laughs).
Denny Patterson: Which pair is your absolute favorite?
Candace Bushnell: Definitely some Manolos. I probably have 5-6 pairs in the same style, and they’re a little bit higher than a kitten heel. They’re very comfortable. If I see a pair of shoes that I like, I’ll buy them.
Denny Patterson: Do you believe Sex and the City is still making an impact on people’s lives today as it did back then?
Candace Bushnell: Very much so. I have so many young women come up and tell me how much the show meant to them and how much it helped them. You know, watching the show is kind of a rite of passage. Young women, when they go to college, they watch the show. It’s a bonding thing, and it’s still very pertinent. The technology might have changed, but the struggles and questions about relationships are still the same.
Denny Patterson: What are your thoughts on And Just Like That?
Candace Bushnell: I think it’s a lot of fun and I really like it. I’m happy they got a third season. Some people do come up to me and be like, I don’t get Miranda’s storyline, but you know, there are just a lot of things in the show that people don’t get. Maybe it’s because I’m older, but I’ve seen all those things happen. I totally get Miranda’s storyline because I know other women that followed the same path. So, I think it’s great.
Denny Patterson: Moving to New York City is different than what it was like when you moved there. What is the best advice you can offer on how to become successful in the city nowadays?
Candace Bushnell: I think the one thing that hasn’t changed is networking. New York is a place where it’s all about going out. It’s a very social city, and people still network by going out. Sitting at home, being on a screen is not the way to do it. New York is a place where connections still happen in person.
Denny Patterson: And what is the best dating advice you can offer?
Candace Bushnell: Oh, don’t listen to me! (Laughs). It’s hard because dating has changed in a lot of ways, and I find that there’s no momentum. You see somebody, you have a date, you think it’s going well, and you think you’re going to hear from them again, but you don’t. Everybody seems to be so much busier than they used to be, and I don’t know why that is or how that is because technology is supposed to give us more time, but it seems to have given us a lot less time. So, my advice for dating – you have to be happy with yourself. You can’t really rely on somebody else because people seem to be very flaky. There’s a lot of ghosting. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I talk to gorgeous young women in their 20s, and I’m like, if it’s not working for them, who will it work for?
Denny Patterson: What do you look for in a guy?
Candace Bushnell: I ultimately look for connection. I’ve dated guys of all different ages, from their 30s to 90s, and some kind of connection and momentum would be good. There are a lot of choices these days, so it’s a little tricky.
Denny Patterson: What is your ideal first date?
Candace Busnell: A lot of people will only go for coffee, but I’ve had some fun first dates where we’ve gone to a movie screening and a party. That’s a fun first date for me. I also enjoy going to dinner. You can usually have a conversation with somebody over the whole 2-3 hours at dinner, so I always feel pretty confident about that.
Denny Patterson: In addition to Sex and the City, you have published several international and New York Times bestselling novels including Four Blondes, Trading Up, Lipstick Jungle, and One Fifth Avenue. Are you currently working on anything right now?
Candace Bushnell: I am working on some TV stuff, but we’ll see what happens. TV is still recovering from this strike, so you never know.
Denny Patterson: What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?
Candace Bushnell: Hopefully more books and TV shows, and maybe another play.
Denny Patterson: Would you ever want to do a play as a character?
Candace Bushnell: Yes, but I would have to write it though.
Denny Patterson: Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?
Candace Bushnell: No, I think that’s everything. Thank you!
Stay up-to-date and connect with Bushnell by following her on Instagram @CandaceBushnell. For more information and to purchase tickets for True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City, visit Kravis.org.
