Michael Altinger discusses the changing nature of cabaret

Cabaret performer and moderator Michael Altinger discusses the evolving landscape of comedy and cabaret in a recent interview. Reflecting on his career which began in 1995, Altinger notes that the genre has undergone significant changes due to the influence of comedy and shifting audience habits.

Altinger observes that modern viewers have shorter attention spans and different viewing habits, requiring performers to reach punchlines faster than in the past. He notes that while cabaret used to rely on building long stories to reach a point, contemporary performance requires a quicker tempo and more frequent laughs.

Additionally, Altinger touched upon the role of technology, suggesting that in the future, audiences might only laugh once they can be certain that punchlines were created without the use of artificial intelligence.