In a special one-night-only event, the critically-acclaimed musical “Finding Neverland” is set to be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Stephens Auditorium.

The musical tells the true story of Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie as he looks for inspiration to write a new play after previous failures. In doing so, he meets Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her four sons who inspire him to create a new and invigorating play about never growing up, which turned out to be the world-known story of Peter Pan.

The musical is an adaptation of the Oscar-nominated 2004 film of the same name, with Johnny Depp starring as Barrie.

An early version of the show premiered in 2012, eventually opening on Broadway in 2015 and performing a run of 565 performances. During this year, two versions of the soundtrack were released, including the Original Broadway Cast recording and a version featuring covers of the musical’s songs, including guest singers Nick Jonas, John Legend and Jennifer Lopez. The show began to tour in 2016, previously stopping in Des Moines in 2018.

Among the current tour cast is Nathan Edward Groth from Sioux City, Iowa. Groth has been involved in the arts since 4 years old and has been part of many musicals since.

Audiences of the show can expect to be taken through an emotional journey of inspiration, love and amazement as they witness the heartening true story of Peter Pan’s creation and the impactful relationships that made it so successful. With astonishing performances from the show’s child actors that will leave viewers stunned to the immersive environment of the performance and even a dog in the cast, “Finding Neverland” has something for everybody to enjoy.

A “special Valentine’s pre-show dinner” will be hosted by the Iowa State Center, with those interested being able to place reservations on the Iowa State Center’s website.

Doors for the ground floor of Stephens Auditorium will open at 6:30 p.m., with the southeast and southwest tower doors opening at 6:45 p.m. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35 and are still for sale through the Iowa State Center ticket office or online at www.ticketmaster.com.