Show Cue System

Good day to you all.
Fairly new to all this and certainly new to this forum.
Thinking about running sound cue for a local panto coming up.
At the moment, I really have nothing apart from a dell laptop and building a small desktop to run the sound from.
Thinking an small interface card or firewire interface would be a good idea rather than using computer bus audio or soundblaster cards.
Have thought about M-Audio 410 and the Delta 44.
One having unbalanced outputs and the other balanced respectivly.

Not having a mixing desk, I may have to go direct to amp, which I know isnt the best idea with unbalanced.

Would i be better to go with the balanced outputs of the Delta 44, which would give me two groups, so I can have FOH L&R as well as two additional backstage effect speakers and go direct to amps? or.. ?

Amp normally positioned under tech tower at rear of hall with cable runs to speakers. Prior to me, set up was MD (had all sounds on) run to DJ mixer using phono leads, then to power amp, then to FOH.

As you can see, a jump to a computer is a big one and in theory makes the DJ mixer redundant, rather pointless if I cant route sound or easily balance. I could be wrong though!

Anyone have any suggestions, thoughts or other?
A little help would really be appreciated!

Cheers guys!

I have a desktop for production use, with the M-Audio Delta 44, and I'm pleased with it. I always try to use balanced, +4dBm (nominal level) line ins and outs when possible. The same machine has a motherboard-based and option slot PC Audio interfaces, which give me four extra outputs, for less critical channels.

For long runs, definitely go balanced line.

As to going direct from the computer to the power amp, sure you can do this, but you'll need to balance all the levels of your cue files so that they play at the correct levels. You would certainly want to do that anyway, but it becomes mandatory when there's no mixer in between.

Thanks Dave, will certainly get all the sound cues levelled.
Greatly appreciate the help.