• Ticket Price
    Free
  • Duration
    2hrs
Cinematic Magic

Cinematic Magic

Family Festival & Concert

Experience cinematic magic! Be transported through time on the wings of dragons and through the blizzards of Arendelle. Water Works Park will be transformed with activities for all ages to enjoy—local vendors, kids’ activities and food trucks. Join us for an afternoon of legendary film music the whole family will love!

EVENT TIMELINE
4:00 PM – Children's Village (featuring activies from the Children's Museum, City Sounds, Living History Farms, Pied Piper, the Des Moines Symphony Academy, and so much more!)

5:30 PM – Concert (see program below!)

Make it the whole weekend!
Join us Saturday too, for a high-energy celebration of the Eagles with 7 Bridges! Learn more >>

Event Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

  • Linda and Tom Koehn

Program

  • John WILLIAMS Star Wars Main Title
  • John POWELL How to Train Your Dragon
  • Alan MENKEN Be Our Guest from Beauty & the Beast
  • Alan MENKEN Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid
  • Alan MENKEN Go the Distance from Hercules
  • Alan MENKEN A Whole New World from Aladdin
  • Stephen SCHWARTZ Popular from Wicked
  • Stephen SCHWARTZ For Good from Wicked
  • John WILLIAMS Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter
  • Randy NEWMAN You've Got a Friend from Toy Story
  • Lin Manuel MIRANDA You'll be Back from Hamilton
  • Kristen ANDERSON-LOPEZ and Robert LOPEZ Let It Go from Frozen
  • STYNE Never Never Land from Peter Pan
  • Robert PRESTON Ya Got Trouble from The Music Man
  • Andrew Lloyd WEBER Phantom of the Opera
  • Andrew Lloyd WEBER Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera

Performers

  • Joseph Giunta Conductor Bio
  • Hugh Panaro Vocalist Bio
  • Alli Mauzey Broadway Singer & Actress Bio

How to Get There

Parking for our Water Works Pops concerts is free! Lots will open at 5:00PM. Follow the signage to enter Water Works Park from Fleur Drive; an attendant will direct you to our free parking lots. You can view a full map of the concert grounds, including parking locations, here.

Those requiring accessible parking may park to the south of the stage. For those who would like additional assistance reaching the concert grounds, a golf cart will shuttle between the ADA lot and the concert grounds to transport up to five people at a time.

Want to ride the trails to the concert? A free bicycle valet service will be available starting at 5:00PM. 

What to Bring

Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome on the lawn – no beach umbrellas or tents, please, as they may obstruct others’ view of the concert. 

You are welcome to bring a picnic basket or a cooler to Water Works Pops. Wine and beer can be consumed on park grounds, but please take any trash with you when you leave. There will also be a wide variety of food trucks onsite selling treats.

Joseph Giunta

Joseph Giunta Conductor

One of America’s most distinguished, versatile and dynamic conductors, Joseph Giunta is a musician of international acclaim. He is recognized as an important American conductor for his innovative programming and for his compelling interpretations of traditional and new music. His musical depth combined with his boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm makes him one of the most respected and successful orchestra leaders in the United States.

Learn More About Maestro Giunta

Hugh Panaro

Hugh Panaro Vocalist

Hugh Panaro is perhaps best known for having played the coveted role of the Phantom in Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera over 2,000 times, including the 25th Anniversary production. In fact, Hugh is one of the few actors to be cast by Harold Prince as both The Phantom and Raoul in the show's Broadway production.

Hugh made his Broadway debut in the original production of Les Misérables as Marius, the role he originated in the First National Company. He also created the roles of Buddy in the original Side Show (Sony cast recording); Julian Craster in Jule Styne's last musical, The Red Shoes; and the title role in the American premiere of Cameron Mackintosh's Martin Guerre. Hugh was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in the title role of Elton John's Lestat, based on Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.

He made his West End debut in the original London company of Harold Prince's Show Boat as Gaylord Ravenal, the role he previously played in the Broadway and Toronto productions.

Alli Mauzey

Alli Mauzey Broadway Singer & Actress

Alli recently finished starring on Broadway in The Tony Award Best Musical Winner Kimberly Akimbo. A show she helped create at The Atlantic Theater Company.

Alli grew up the middle of three children in Southern California. She holds a BFA in drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a minor in music. Upon graduating college, Alli made her Broadway debut in The Tony Award Winning musical Hairspray. A show she also toured across the United States as an original cast member.

A favorite Broadway role to date for Alli is that of Glinda the Good in Wicked. A role she also performed to critical acclaim in the 1st National Tour, the San Francisco Company with many returns to Broadway. 

Other Broadway credits include Ernestina in the Tony Award winning revival of Hello, Dolly! starring opposite both Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters, a special guest performer opposite Kristin Chenoweth in her Broadway residency concert Kristin Chenoweth:For the Girls, and the musical Cry Baby for which she received a Theatre World Award, and a Drama League Award Nomination. 

Other New York Credits include, New York City Center Encores in the role of Minerva in The Golden Apple as well as Sydney in It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman. Regionally, she has appeared as Mallory in City of Angels for Reprise! in Los Angeles, Snookie in 110 in the Shade at the Pasadena Playhouse, and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at The Muny, for which she was nominated for a Kevin Kline Award.  

 When not on Broadway Ms. Mauzey performs with symphony orchestras all around the world most notably but not limited to Ellie May Shipley in Show Boat with the New York Philharmonic (Live From Lincoln Center on PBS), three engagements with The Philly Pops , the title role in Cinderella alongside the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the world famous Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Recent and upcoming engagements include Wurttenbembreg Philharmonic of Reautlingen (Germany), North Carolina Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra and the Reno Philharmonic.

Alli resides in New York City with her husband and their child. When not performing she enjoys inspiring the next generation by teaching master classes.