ELGIN — At the Elgin Opera House, a team is working to bring Neverland to life.

From hand-painted set pieces to intricate costumes, “Peter Pan” is a labor of love.

The show is directed by Terry Hale and Caitlin Marshall.

“I have always loved Peter Pan and doing it on the stage has been a dream come true,” Marshall said. “This show is magic, and it’s beautiful.”

“Peter Pan” is also the culmination of a lifelong dream for actress Maia Sky Vandervlugt, who plays the title role.

“This has been my dream role since I was 3 years old,” she said. “I would sing and dance to Cathy Rigby — I had the whole thing memorized and would make my mom dance with me.”

Although she grew up in La Grande, Vandervlugt is currently living in Los Angeles and pursuing a professional acting career. She has temporarily returned to Eastern Oregon for “Peter Pan.”

When asked what the best part of the experience has been so far, she had one answer: “Everything.”

“That’s so cheesy, but, honestly, this has just been a dream come true, and this experience is so wonderful,” she said.

Vandervlugt said audience members should watch for details that come from other “Peter Pan” productions and films.

“If you are a Peter Pan fanatic, I have pulled from many different Peter Pans from the past, so you might notice some of that,” she said. “But we are definitely doing a different version than anyone has ever seen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The production will actually include a world premiere.

“When I decided to do Peter Pan, I realized that times have changed. There are things we’re more sensitive to now. I worked closely with the authors of the show to see if it was possible to rework a couple of the scenes to make them a little more modern,” Hale said. “They were really open to it, so they allowed me to create a whole new group of people in the show, which is our Neverland Nymphs. I wrote a song for (the nymphs) and Margaret Mayer did the arranging, so we have an original work in the show that’s never been seen before.”

The production also features sets that have been painted by Jon Hanley, choreographed swashbuckling, and, yes, some flying cast members. In addition to directing, Marshall is choreographing the production.

“There’s something for everyone in this show,” Marshall said. “There’s fighting, there’s flying, there’s pirates… and all sorts of surprises. Get your tickets now.”

Peter Pan opens April 7 at the Elgin Opera House. Most tickets are $18, although group rates are available.

Shows are every weekend in April — 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Find times, dates and tickets at www.elginoperahouse.com.

“If you are a Peter Pan fanatic, I have pulled from many different Peter Pans from the past, so you might notice some of that. But we are definitely doing a different version than anyone has ever seen. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

— Maia Sky Vandervlugt, who plays the lead in “Peter Pan”

What: The musical “Peter Pan”

Where: Elgin Opera House, 100 N. 8th St., Elgin

When: April 7-29, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays

Tickets: elginoperahouse.com