Just shy of 10 years ago, Joshua Carr stood on the Welk Resort stage as the title character in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Since then, Carr has focused more on producing theater.

So it seems natural that he is returning to the Welk, not as an actor, but as the resort's new producer -- and the first show he'll produce? "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

It all began when the resort's producer, Sean Coogan, accepted the position of general manager for the entire resort. That left a vacancy that Coogan offered to Carr, who co-produces the Tustin Light Opera and a summer series in Tustin's Peppertree Park.

"He asked if I would be interested and I said I would," recalled Carr, who is based in Tustin with his partner, director Ray Limon. "Producing is what I've been doing in Orange County. Now it's great to come back here because of my previous connection. It's a perfect fit."

It's a happy coincidence that the first show under Carr's management is "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," the musical that Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice wrote for a boys' school 40 years ago and which jump-started their careers. It tells the Biblical story of Joseph through a variety of musical styles, including rock, country and calypso. The production is being directed and choreographed by Limon.

Carr is already bubbling with new ideas for the theater that he hopes to begin implementing next season.

While he plans to continue providing high-quality productions for the theater's loyal fans, he said he also wants to reach out to new audiences and increase the customer base. For instance, with this show there is a special children's price for the show (not including buffet) of $10 for audience members ages 3 to 15.

"Theater has to be affordable, especially for family-friendly shows like this one," he said. "It's also our way of educating a new audience. Our demographics and ideas are changing. We appreciate our older audience, but we also want to bring in a new demographic."

Another way the theater is helping ticket-buyers during the recession is offering ticket discounts such as two-for-one deals or 20 percent discount coupons.

Carr said one of his ideas for next season may be to move the matinee show times forward by 45 minutes to 1 p.m. to keep lunchtime buffet lines from getting too crowded with both theatergoers and village residents.

Carr is also reimagining how the next season will look, which he plans to announce in a few weeks.

"We're going to do a nonmusical," he promised. "Plus, the runs will be shorter, which means we'll do more shows next year -- as many as 12. We'll also have a few celebrity acts come in for four to five nights."

The musicals will range from new shows to the standards the Welk Theatre is known for. The shorter runs make presenting newer musicals possible, as only a show like "The Sound of Music" can be a sure-fire, long-running hit, he said.

"We'll continue with the family-friendly shows as well as those that appeal to the yuppie generation," said Carr, who doesn't discount the idea of returning to the Welk stage as an actor as well. "But we're also looking for more contemporary shows to go with the classics. We want to reach out to new people. That's what we want."

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"

When: Opens Thursday and runs through Aug. 30; showtimes, 1:45 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

Where: Welk Resort Theatre, 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido

Tickets: $35-$63, adults (includes buffet lunch or dinner); $29-$47, adults, show only; $10, children ages 3 to 15 (meal not included)

Info: 888-802-7469; 760-749-3448

Web: www.WelkTheatreSanDiego.com