Horton hears JMU

James Madison University’s marching band will be among 10 bands to perform during the longest running show on Broadway.

The students will be apart of the 82nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which airs live from New York City Thursday on NBC.

The three-hour event starts at 9 a.m.

Of the 474-member Marching Royal Dukes, 13 of them are from Culpeper and its surrounding region.

“With JMU’s centennial, what better way to celebrate on a national scope than to feature the band program on TV,” said Scott Rikkers, assistant director of bands and director of the Marching Royal Dukes. “We’re looking forward to it. It’s good for the school, it’s good for the state (and) it’s good for the kids.”

The students include: Joshua Cole of Amissville; Rachel Beeler of Culpeper; Rachel Hutchins of Culpeper; Michele LaRosa of Culpeper; Ann Marie McNemar of Culpeper; Laurel Schaepman of Elkwood; Paige Driver of Madison; Frankie Daily of Aroda; Amy Curtis of Broad Run; Stephanie Messick of Midland; Stephanie Rodgers of Warrenton; Shandra Aber of Rixeyville and Anna Bresnock of Amissville.

“I’m so excited,” McNemar said Sunday morning. “It didn’t really seem real until last week when we got our itineraries. It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s definitely going to be worth it.”

This year marks the largest membership in the Harrisonburg university’s history.

The JMU band will perform “Sing, Sing, Sing” in Herald Square along the parade route between 11 a.m. and noon, according to Rachel’s mother, Elizabeth Hutchins.

The parade begins at 77th Street and Central Park West and concludes at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 34th Street.

It’s not all work for the band.

The students will also get to enjoy some shopping and sightseeing during their own time in the Big Apple on Friday.

This year’s event marks the band’s second appearance in the historic holiday parade. In 2001, the Marching Royal Dukes represented JMU during the 75th anniversary Macy’s parade.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .

Want to watch?
What: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
When: Thursday, 9 a.m.
Channel: NBC