Performer dies on Cirque du Soleil: Ka at MGM Grand

Jan 11, 2011
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Re: Performer dies on Cirque du Soleil: Ka at MGM Grand

It's gotta be rough for the audience to see that.

Luckily the audience most likely didn't see the impact. The theatre, and that scene in particular is set up so that the vertical stage platform (which is perpendicular to the audience) is over a large opening where a traditional orchestra pit would be, which goes down three or four stories below the audience floor area. And there are other scenes where performers slide off of the platform and down into the pit area below. Some of the reports said that they heard screaming, but my guess is that most of the audience was probably out of the theatre before most realized what had happened.

As I said before, I've seen the show twice, and been back stage. And was in their training facility in April while they were doing first responder training. Cirque takes the safety of their performers and crew very seriously and I'm sure they will redouble their safety efforts after this. Still sad and tragic when something like this happens.