Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Frog Prince has taken a leap of faith away from its traditional storyline for a new theatrical production by the China Children's Art Theater. With two sold-out shows at the weekend, audiences have flocked to the touching drama even though it omits its celebrated ending involving the princess kissing the frog and transforming him into a handsome prince.

"Before its premiere, I worried that younger children might lose interest before the drama ended. Surprisingly, most of them stayed until the end," director Tang Yu told Metro Beijing after the show's Saturday debut at the theater.

Running until Sunday, tickets to the remaining three shows have all sold out due to audiences hopping at the opportunity to enjoy its thrilling magic shows, engaging games between actors and the audience and emotional songs extolling the virtues of friendship.

While modern interpretations of the fairy tale often tug at the heartstrings and send the message to audiences that beauty is more than skin-deep, the troupe's adaptation of The Frog Prince stays true to many aspects of the original plot.

The prince is turned into a frog and can only return to his human form when the indifferent, spoiled princess becomes friends with him. Just don't expect any romantic, inter-species kissing.

"Nowadays, children are too lonely. They have become the center of the family and cut off from other children. Filled with artificial 'happiness,' children grow selfish towards others," playwright Ma Xing said, adding that happiness should come from interacting with people and not material goods.

"It's the same case with adults. With the rise of the Internet, people can shop online for whatever they need. Subsequently, they communicate less with others," he noted.

Besides the familiar royal cast, Ma has also added new characters to the story including a koala as the princess' pet.

Other characters portray battles with modern-day pressures, with the king shown as constantly busy - a situation bound to resonate with parents at the play.

"The drama stays true to the fairy tale's storyline, although changes were made because the plot is too simple for a stage production," explained Tang.