STILLWATER, Okla. –
Stillwater High School’s performing arts students are being invited to take part in one of London’s biggest New Year’s celebrations.
Bob Bone, who is involved with the London Parade, was in Stillwater to invite the school’s performing arts faculty to London for the 2028 New Year’s Day Parade.
Bone said American high school and college marching bands are consistently among the most popular parts of the parade.
Stillwater students invited to perform in London
Stillwater High School has participated in the London Parade before, but the 2028 trip will be different.
For the first time, all four strands of the school’s performing arts faculty are expected to participate: the marching band, orchestra, choir and theatrical group.
“Stillwater High School have been great, great friends of London Parade over many, many years now,” Bone said. “But this time for 2028, it’s very, very special because all four strands of the performing arts faculty are coming.”
Bone said the expanded participation will give more Stillwater students an opportunity to experience the event.
“So it’s going to be a really, really fantastic experience for all of the performing arts students at Stillwater,” he said.
American marching bands are a London Parade favorite
Bone said American marching bands have become a major attraction for spectators at the New Year’s Day Parade.
The parade conducts an annual poll asking attendees about their favorite parts of the event. Bone said American high school and college marching bands consistently come out on top.
“The reason is, the main thing is that everybody loves the marching bands and they are really the best thing in our parade,” Bone said.
He said the goal is to make visiting students feel like Londoners during their time in the city.
“I can promise everybody who comes that they’re going to have the time of their lives,” Bone said. “We’re going to make them Londoners for a week and they will be the most popular people in London.”
Theater program could open door for more students
The addition of Stillwater’s theatrical group is also being viewed as a potential pilot program for the London Parade.
Bone said organizers believe London could offer theater students opportunities to learn from people involved in acting and theatrical production.
“We think London has a huge amount to offer for theater students,” Bone said.
He said Stillwater’s participation could help organizers determine whether the program could eventually bring more American theater students to London.
“So we think that there’s a lot of scope here to bring lots and lots and lots of American students who are interested in theatre to London and Stillwater is going to be a kind of pilot program for all of that,” Bone said.
The addition of Stillwater’s theatrical group is also being viewed as a potential pilot program for the London Parade.
Bone said organizers believe London could offer theater students opportunities to learn from people involved in acting and theatrical production.
