The MSU Department of Theatre puts on “Evita” at 7:30 p.m. today at the Fairchild Theatre in the Auditorium.

The Broadway musical chronicles the life of the once impoverished Eva Duarte as she becomes Eva Peron, the politically involved first lady of Argentina.

Directed by Department of Theatre Chairperson Dixie Durr, the musical is the first play to come to the Fairchild this year.

“The show’s looking good. We ended up with a very talented cast with lots of freshmen,” Durr said.

Durr said this is not a typical production of “Evita” because of her background in dance.

“There’s a lot more movement in this production, primarily because I’m a dancer who’s directing,” she said.

Although the Department of Theatre’s slogan is, “We do it live,” this time they’re doing it digital.

Putting a futuristic twist on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music and Tim Rice’s lyrics, “Evita” is the first play in MSU history in which sound and light are completely digital.

In the past there have been plays at Wharton Center that have been partly in digital sound, but this breakthrough technology will make its full MSU debut in the small Fairchild Theatre.

“We’re proud of this,” Durr said. “Digitalizing the lights and sound obligates the students to work harder and prepares them to work with it in the future.”

Running completely off a MIDI, a computer input and output program, the lights and sound will be cued by a computer program, not a person. Theater Professor Stanley Jensen is in charge of digital sound for the production. Every note is programmed into the same computer, Durr said.

There’s a conductor, but no orchestra.

“Working with the digital light and sound has been a different experience,” said theater senior Abigail Colton, a company member. “Working without a live orchestra is more demanding.”

The play runs this weekend and Nov. 9-12. For more information, call the Wharton Center box office at 432-2000 or 1-800-WHARTON. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and senior citizens.