Cirque du Soleil employee killed in San Francisco, but Sacramento show to go on

SACRAMENTO — While a performance of Cirque du Soleil was canceled Tuesday night in San Francisco after the death of a show technician, the run of another Cirque show in Sacramento will apparently go on as planned.

An employee with the Cirque du Soleil “Luzia” show died after being injured Tuesday night in San Francisco. The death occurred not during a performance, but rather during a “pre-set of the show,” according to the Associated Press.

Police responded the area near AT&T Park after receiving a report of an industrial accident at the Cirque du Soleil tent.

“It is with immense sadness that we report a fatal accident,” Cirque du Soleil said in the news release. “One of our employees, a technician on the show, was struck by a lift and passed away from his injuries.”

The show that opens Wednesday night in Sacramento is a different edition of the high-flying Cirque du Soleil franchise than the one that was being staged in San Francisco. While Cirque shows depend on performers who swing high above the stage in elaborate stage productions, the themes of shows vary.

The show in San Francisco is called “Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico.” The Sacramento show, which runs from Wednesday to Dec. 4, is called “Toruk: The First Flight,” which is inspired by the movie “Avatar.”