Young Madison and Morgan county audiences will be presented with a larger than life performance of “Puss in Boots” this week as the Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre takes the stage at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center Friday.

The performance will be part of the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center’s annual student performance series, which seeks to expose the community’s youth to the arts through a diverse line up of performances that tie in with the subjects being taught in school.

“We are looking to expose students to a variety of art forms: Music, dance, theater and even history,” Madison-Morgan Cultural Center Marketing Director Patricia DuBose said.

Every performance is coupled with a study guide to allow public, private and home school teachers to introduce lessons that fit in with the topics children are learning at school.

“Puss in Boots” presents children with a moral lesson about being honest, Dubose said.

This show is an original adaptation of “The Master Cat,” one of the fairytales collected by French storyteller Charles Perrault in “The Mother Goose Tales,” according to a statement by the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center.  In this story, Puss in Boots plots to change young Nat the Miller’s son from a “paw-per” to an “aristo-cat.”  The magical talking cat learns honesty is the best policy and good deeds are rewarded as he helps Nat rescue the kidnapped Princess Penny Candy from a wicked ogre — and they all live “purr-fectly” happily ever after.

“Puss in Boots” ties in with students curriculum because it presents them with a performance filled with music and drama. But most of all the performance will be filled with larger than life performances of Bits ‘N Pieces’ nine-foot-tall puppets.

Tampa, Fla.-based Bits ‘N Pieces is an award-winning puppetry arts group that has been adapting original musical productions from classic children’s literature for more than 25 years.

Bits ‘N Pieces will present “Puss in Boots” during three performances at 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and in a family evening performance at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23 at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center located at 434 S. Main St. in Madison.

Some seats are still available for all three shows. If you are interested in attending one of the student shows, please call Patricia DuBose at the Cultural Center (706-342-4743, ext. 26).  Tickets for the student shows are $7.  To order tickets for the family evening performance, which includes the reception, please visit www.mmcc-arts.org where you may order online, or call the main number at the Cultural Center (706-342-4743). Ticket prices for the family evening performance are $5 children, $10 members and $15 non-members.