Review: CANDACE BUSHNELL: TRUE TALES OF SEX, SUCCESS, AND SEX AND THE CITY at Reynolds Performance Hall

Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City was at Reynolds Performance Hall in Conway on October 23, and audiences were treated to a witty, glamorous, and refreshingly honest night of storytelling from the woman who started it all. Bushnell, best known as the creator of Sex and the City and the real-life inspiration behind Carrie Bradshaw, stepped onto the stage in full command, armed with charm, candor, and nine hard-earned lessons from a life that’s been as fabulous and unpredictable as the series she inspired. 

When the show Sex and the City first came out, I had just turned 21, so the show and its storylines resonated loudly with me. I didn’t miss an episode. I loved it so much that I even bought Candace’s books to supplement my education into young womanhood. Her bold, unapologetic look at female friendships, careers, and relationships felt like a roadmap to independence, one that was empowering, funny, and far more real than anything else on television at the time. 

Surrounded by designer shoes and a small glimpse into her New York apartment, she greeted the audience with, “How many of you are Sex and the City fans?” and with that, the crowd was in her stylish palm. Giving her thesis “Is there still sex in the city?” Bushnell took us through her journey from the suburbs of the 1960s to the bright lights of New York City, from her first column at The New York Observer to the HBO phenomenon that redefined modern womanhood. She shared stories of love, ambition, heartbreak, reinvention, and the friendships that outlast it all, with humor sharp enough to rival any Samantha quip. 

Bushnell didn’t just recount Sex and the City’s history, she pulled back the curtain on her own. With dazzling wit and heartfelt vulnerability, she offered a series of “life lessons” that resonated deeply with fans who’ve laughed, cried, and sipped cosmos right alongside Carrie and the girls. 

Lesson #1: If you won’t do it, somebody else will. 
Bushnell joked about early heartbreaks and the brutal realities of dating in the pre-texting age—when even her Best Friend could become the competition. 

Lesson #2: Men lie. 
“About everything,” she quipped, recounting how one famous writer she dated shaved ten years off his age and introduced “a friend” into their evening. 

Lesson #3: Being with a Pulitzer Prize winner won’t make you one. You have to do that yourself. 
Her determination to forge her own success led to her iconic Sex and the City column, which gave single women in New York—and everywhere else—a new way to see themselves. 

Lesson #4: In relationships, people only see what they want to see. 
Bushnell’s reflections on “Mr. Big” were as relatable as they were revealing. The heartbreak was real, but so was the empowerment that followed. She said she realized that she didn’t want Mr. Big, she wanted to BE Mr. Big. 

Lesson #5: When it comes to sex, there’s no free lunch. 
She laughed about the colorful stories behind her early writing career and the complicated dance between sex, power, and honesty that fueled her work. 

Lesson #6: You can’t rely on a relationship for your happiness—guard your heart with your head. 
After divorce and personal loss, Bushnell found solace in self-reliance—and her beloved dogs, Pepper and Prancer. 

Lesson #7: Reinvention belongs to you. You don’t need permission. 
She moved to the country, stopped smoking, embraced nature, and rediscovered her joy on her own terms. 

Lesson #8: Other people’s marriages are never as good as you think. 
Her sharp insight into modern relationships reminded everyone that “perfect” couples often hide imperfect truths. 

Lesson #9: Girlfriends are forever. 
The evening closed with this timeless truth—the same one that anchored Sex and the City: men may come and go, but your girlfriends will always show up to lift you higher (and make sure you buy the shoes). 

Throughout the show, Bushnell blended iconic pop culture references with personal confessions. She talked about Sarah Jessica Parker taking on the role of Carrie, how real-life events inspired the series’ most memorable moments, and how—yes—those fabulous shoes were actually hers, but not the closet. 

By the end of the night, it was clear that Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City isn’t just a nostalgic trip through TV history, it’s a love letter to every woman who’s dared to define her own worth, her own happiness, and her own story. As Bushnell reminded us with a sly smile and a sparkle in her eye: The city may change, men may come and go, but girlfriends? Girlfriends are forever. This superfan is thrilled that I received a refresher course in defining our own womanhood. May there always be sex in the city. 

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