Press Release: Candace Bushnell

‘SEX AND THE CITY’ CREATOR AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR CANDACE BUSHNELL BRINGS HER ONE-WOMAN SHOW TO SOUTH COAST REPERTORY

Benefit for South Coast Repertory Host Committee Includes Stephanie Argyros, Elizabeth Segerstrom, Jane Yada, Wendy Hales and Paula Tomei

COSTA MESA, Calif (Feb. 12, 2026) —She is the groundbreaking voice behind “Sex and the City.”  And South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel) is proud to welcome Candace Bushnell to the theatre for three performances of her one-woman show—Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY. The benefit production is supported by Host Committee members Stephanie Argyros, Elizabeth Segerstrom, Jane Yada, Wendy Hales and Paula Tomei.

Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY tells the story of how Bushnell created “Sex and the City,” the ups and downs of life as a single woman in New York and the television series that became a global phenomenon. It runs for one weekend only. Performances are Saturday, May 30, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m.

South Coast Repertory’s Managing Director Suzanne Appel shared, ”Girls night out has never been so much fun as it will be when we gather to celebrate what Sex and the City has meant to women everywhere. For thirty years, Candace Bushnell’s Carrie Bradshaw has embodied what it means to be true to oneself—something she shares with her creator. Candace’s work has honored the richness of female friendships and expanded how women embrace their sensuality. South Coast Repertory has long welcomed world-class artists to its stages. This benefit for our season and education programs is a wonderful opportunity to bring together live theatre and fashion for a great cause.”

Each performance includes a pre-show South Coast Plaza shopping experience featuring brand partners on-site at SCR. Mona Lee Nesseth, an antique and estate jewelry expert, will curate a selection of luxury jewelers for exclusive on-site shopping. All guests will be invited to join in for themed cocktails (Cosmos, anyone?) and plenty of opportunities for fashionable photos with friends.

Ticket levels feature a limited number of VIP Meet & Greet Packages for $425 that include a pre-show VIP reception, sponsored by South Coast Plaza, and an exclusive champagne meet-and-greet and photo opportunity on stage with Bushnell.

Those interested in private sponsorship experiences should contact the Director of Development, Clare Kiklowicz, at (714) 708-5521.

Tickets are now on sale at scr.org, or by calling the SCR Box Office at (714) 708-5555.

About the Show

New York icon Bushnell takes the audience on a whirlwind tour of New York City, from Studio 54 to the Lipstick Jungle and beyond, sharing her remarkable stories of fashion, literature and sex while pouring Cosmos in Manolos. Grab your Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte and join the OG Carrie Bradshaw for a Girls’ Night Out!

Bushnell’s onstage memoir begins with her arrival off the bus to Manhattan in a Loehmann’s outfit picked out by her mother, hoping to write her way to a Pulitzer. She landed her first byline with a wry piece on how to behave at Studio 54. (“If someone dies, ignore them.”) She met her Mr. Big, and then he dumped her just as she published the book Sex and the City in 1996, which would upend how readers, and later viewers, thought about women and sex.

Background

Bushnell wrote a column for the New York Observer that was adapted into the best-selling Sex and the City anthology. The book was the basis for the television series “Sex and the City” and two movies. In addition, Bushnell wrote the best-selling novels 4 Blondes, Trading Up, Lipstick Jungle, One Fifth Avenue, The Carrie Diaries and Summer and the City.

The television show “Sex and the City” ran for six seasons (1998-2004) and 94 episodes on HBO, earning 54 Emmy nominations and 24 Golden Globe nominations. Through the eyes of Bradshaw—the character based on and inspired by Bushnell—“Sex and the City” impacted pop culture through fashion, food, sex and relationships. The show’s empowering messages of financial independence, the value of deep and lasting friendships and enjoying sex without shame or stigma resonated across generations. It spawned a sequel, “And Just Like That,” which ran on HBO Max from 2021-2025.

Ticket and Experience Packages

• VIP Meet-and-Greet, $425: Includes premiere seating, South Coast Plaza trunk show experience, pre-show VIP reception with unlimited drinks, swag and an exclusive champagne meet-and-greet photo opportunity with Candace Bushnell.
• VIP, $250 until Feb. 15: Includes premium seating, South Coast Plaza trunk show experience, and pre-show VIP reception with unlimited drinks and swag.
• Plus, $150: Includes preferred seating, South Coast Plaza trunk show experience and one drink ticket.
• Regular, $85: Includes reserved seating and access to pre-show South Coast Plaza trunk show experience.

Location: South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the David Emmes/Martin Benson Theatre Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available on Park Center Drive, off Anton Boulevard.

2025-26 Upcoming Productions: God of Carnage, Jan. 23-March 21, 2026; Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Jan. 24-March 21, 2026; Cinderella: A Salsa Fairy Tale, Feb. 20-March 8, 2026; Eat Me, April 12-May 3, 2026; Fremont Ave., April 25-May 23, 2026; Hershey Felder, BEETHOVEN, June 10-21, 2026. The annual showcase of new works, the Pacific Playwrights Festival, runs May 1-3, 2026.