PADUCAH, Ky. -- This week one of the most popular and longest running musicals of all time comes to the area when "Cats" takes the stage Sunday at the Carson Center. One of the stars of the Andrew Lloyd Webber modern classic (based on the poetry of T.S. Eliot) phoned in to answer a few questions for SE Live. Kristy Cavanaugh plays Rumpleteaser, one of two mischievous cat burglars.

Matt Sanders: Was this your first time playing a part in the musical "Cats"?

Kristy Cavanaugh: Yes, this is my first time playing Rumpleteaser in "Cats."

MS: What's it like for an actress to be part of such a famous musical?

KC: This was THE musical I wanted to be in when I was little, so it's definitely a dream come true.

I saw it on Broadway when I was about 5 years old, and ever since then I could not stop singing and dancing and dressing up like a cat in my living room. I have the pictures to prove it.

MS: "Cats" appealed to you as a child. Does it still have that appeal as an adult?

KC: Definitely. It's kind of like going to Disneyworld when you're older -- you turn into a kid. I actually got a chance to sit down and watch the show, and it still gave me goose bumps the same way it did when I was younger.

MS: What do you think "Cats" owes its massive popularity to?

KC: For me, and I'm guessing it's the same for other people, too, for me the whole magical aspect ... they weren't people playing cats, they really were cats.

Want to go?

• What: "Cats"
• When: 7 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Carson Center, Paducah, Ky.
• Info: 270-450-4444, thecarsoncenter.org