Show & Tell: Kelly Long of ‘Peepshow’

Q: Which role do you perform in "Peepshow"?

A: Basically, I'm the female swing, so I cover anyone who's injured or out on vacation. There are 13 girls I have to cover, so every night is something new for me.

Q: Sounds confusing.

A: I've had nights where I've been up to four different people in the show, so each number it's like, "Who am I?" Sometimes at the end of the night I don't even know what my name is (laughs).

Q: Have you always been into dancing?

A: My grandmother says, "I was the reason you started dancing." She said she'd cradle me and play all the nursery rhymes and Raffi music and bounce me, and she'd say, "That's why you have your rhythm. It's because of me."

Q: Did you study dance as a kid?

A: I grew up not only with ballet and tap and jazz, but I was part of a Cajun dancing troupe. We'd go around competing and performing two-step, the shuffle, the waltz. By the time I was 7, 8, 9, I was known to win. I'd get trophies taller than I was at the time (laughs).

Q: Any thought of a career then?

A: I think it was fun, but I think I always said I wanted to be a dancer and a teacher. ... Next summer will be my 10-year high school reunion, and I'm still in touch with old friends, and a lot of them say to this day, "We still can't believe you." I told them I will be a professional dancer, I will dance. They were, like, "Oh. OK. Right." And, now, they're, like, "10 years later you're doing what you said you'd do."

Q: Did you study dance in college?

A: I was all signed up and about to move, and I basically booked my first job with Celebrity Cruise Lines.

Q: How long were you with them?

A: I did two six-month contracts. ... Then I moved to New York ... I had only been there for maybe three or four months and I auditioned for "Jubilee!" in Las Vegas, and ended up booking that.

Q: You've been in "Peepshow" for just over two years. Has your grandmother seen the show yet?

A: No. But my parents have seen it a couple of times. My dad's a huge fan. ... When he came to town once, I got one of the souvenir programs you can get, and he said, "Can you have Holly (Madison) sign it?" Oh, no problem. ... He flips through it, and hands it back and goes, "No, no, no. I want all the girls to sign it."

Q: Are you going to that reunion next summer?

A: Heck, yeah (laughs). I'm so excited. I'm going to get, like, the coolest job award or something like that!