Just in time for Christmas (because I think tickets to live shows like this make a great gift for kids), Broadway Series South has announced a new theater series for families that will benefit Marbles Kids Museum.

Storybook Theater will feature a professional cast of actors in shows staged just for kids and families. The inaugural season begins in March with Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale; and continues throughout the year with Disney's Winnie the Pooh, Kids in April; Dora the Explorer, Live! Dora's Pirate Adventure in November 2013; and Frosty the Snowman from December to November 2013.

The series comes thanks to Jim Lavery of Broadway Series South, which presents shows at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts, and Wally Jones, a former director at the North Carolina Theater, who left a few years ago to take over Casa Manana, a theater in Fort Worth. Professional children's theater in Texas is very popular and Lavery and Jones both felt it would work in the Triangle.

The one-hour shows are geared toward young audiences.

“Our research demonstrated that there is an abundance of parents and grandparents looking to expose their children to theater at a very early age”, said Lavery, General Manager, Broadway Series South, in a press release. “When we looked at options currently available in the market we couldn’t find anything that compared to this professional and yet affordable series. The successful history of Casa Mañana children’s theater ensures these shows offer quality content for younger kids, and we are so happy the routing worked to benefit both cities.”

Tickets start at $14. Season tickets are $70 and $52. Marbles members also can get deals. Tickets to special Friday School Performances are $7.50 for all seats. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., Thursday, to the general public (they went on sale to Marbles museum members on Monday).

Once they go on sale to the general public, tickets can be purchased at the Progress Energy Center Box Office, Ticketmaster Outlets or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Here's what's scheduled:

• Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale - March 1  to March 3, 2013 (Raleigh Memorial Auditorium). "Rapunzel" comes to life in a magical new musical featuring that beautiful princess with the long, long, long hair trapped in the tower, a handsome young suitor who doesn’t quite know what he’s searching for – of course, an evil witch who has her eye on what should be Rapunzel’s kingdom, and a tired, yet philosophical, old dragon who tries to make sense of it all! A charming musical adventure for the whole family!
• Disney's Winnie the Pooh, Kids - April 12  to April 14, 2013 (Raleigh Memorial Auditorium). Disney's Winnie the Pooh, Kids welcomes audiences to the Hundred Acre Wood, where Winnie the Pooh is once again sharing snacks.
• Dora the Explorer, Live! Dora's Pirate Adventure - November 1 to Nov. 3, 2013 (Raleigh Memorial Auditorium). Dora, her best buddy Boots the Monkey, and the rest of their friends embark on an exciting trip to Treasure Island. The audience helps them navigate over Dancing Mountain and through Silly Singing Bridge to confront the Pirate Piggies. Along the way, the audience will use map-reading, counting, musical and language skills to successfully help Dora reach the treasure. All ends happily onstage with a "yo-ho-ho”!
• Frosty the Snowman - November 26 - December 24, 2013 (A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater).