LAS VEGAS — Cirque du Soleil will resume performances of its "Ka" show in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, 17 days after an acrobat fell about 90 feet to her death in its closing scene, the company announced Sunday.
But the show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino will resume without the final aerial battle scene that resulted in the June 29 death of Sarah Guillot-Guyard, spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard said.
The decision to resume the show was made after consultation with the production's artists and staff, she said, and Tuesday night's show will be dedicated to the late Paris-born performer's memory.
The battle scene act will be replaced with a "dressing-ritual" scene that maintains both the story line of the production and its 90-minute length.
Coroner's officials have ruled that the 31-year-old Guillot-Guyard's death by blunt force trauma was an accident. She was still in her harness when she fell.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation that could take six months.
Horrified audience members who witnessed the accident say they initially thought the acrobat's fall was part of the show. They say they realized something had gone wrong when they heard cries of performers.
The show momentarily continued, then stopped. Minutes after the accident, a recorded announcement informed audience members that refunds or vouchers to future shows would be offered, and the crowd was dismissed.