Renovation begins on theater where Red Skelton got his start

VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) - Renovation work has begun in southwestern Indiana on an ornate, nearly century-old theater where comic Red Skelton first appeared on stage.

Crews began demolition in June for new construction work at the Pantheon Theatre. The $2.4 million renovation and reuse project will turn the Vincennes building into a shared work space and business incubator called the Pantheon Business Theater.

The Vincennes Sun-Commercial reports the project will include new plumbing and bathrooms, a redesign of the theater's main stage as an event space and an open-concept shared workspace.

The Renaissance Revival-style theater opened in 1921 in the city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Evansville. The venue was the first stage on which Vincennes native Skelton performed and it also hosted the Marx Brothers, Spike Jones and Duke Ellington.

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Information from: Vincennes Sun-Commercial, http://www.vincennes.com