He said these theatres had been in Rotorua for a long time and for a lot of people involved in them it was like a family.
"We are very lucky in Rotorua we have a very wide range of talent, and young talent.
"To me, the arts is important to a town and we are lucky to have two established theatres here."
He said he would also like to encourage more young people to come through and new people to get involved in this year's shows.
Operatunity's Jessica Rodda said they celebrated Operatunity's 15th anniversary in November last year, but since 2012 they had been performing eight shows a year in Rotorua.
Since they are a touring company, they perform eight different shows every year in 24 centres nationwide.
"One of the things we pride ourselves on is the variety of music that we're able to present not just throughout the year, but in each concert."
"Our shows always have plenty of laughs, so there's truly something for everyone."
She said they always made sure they had a good variety throughout the year, but it was also important for them to showcase New Zealand's incredible musical talent.
"We're one of the largest employers of singers in New Zealand, and supporting amazing local performers is a huge part of what we do."
She said they got so much positive feedback from people who attend, saying things like "I came in feeling 81, and I left feeling 21 again".
"It certainly doesn't hurt that our tickets are only $34, which includes a lunch served after shows by the performers!"
Energy Events Centre operations manager Joelene Elliott said the Civic Theatre was selling tickets to The Last Stand Tour featuring the International Maori Volcanics Showband on February 10, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet presents Two Ballets by Roland Petit - Carmen with L'Arlesienne on March 9 and March 10.
Summer Pops with the Modern Maori Quartet is being held on March 16 and on April 1 they have a local production by the Anne Samson School of Ballet, The Forgotten Glade, where there will be two shows at 1pm and 6.30pm.
"The Royal NZ Ballet performances are always well attended but so are local shows and productions.
"Seeing your children or friends and family performing on stage is a proud moment for many and a rite of passage for some."
She said in May they had John Paul College presenting a popular musical called Into the Woods and other shows would go on sale over the next few months.
"Our vision is to grow the performing arts sector in Rotorua and contribute to the vibrancy of the city."
She said the opportunity to see touring shows of high quality and content outside of the major centres was an attraction for both locals and for visitors to Rotorua.
In March, a council representative would be attending the Performing Arts Association NZ Arts Market in Auckland, where artists and producers would pitch their shows and productions, she said.
"We hope to secure shows that may be of interest to our Rotorua audience."
Rotorua Musical Theatre president Natasha Benfell said they had not confirmed their 2017 season yet.
2017 Rotorua Little Theatre Productions at Shambles Theatre:
- Scrubbers directed by Dan Blackmore, March 24 to April 8 (musical play)
- Barefoot in the Park directed by Jill Horne, July 7 to July 22 (drama)
- Kindly Leave the Stage directed by Val Isherwood, September 22 to September 14 (comedy)
- Robin Hood directed and written by Steve English, December 8 to December 16 (pantomime)
2017 Operatunity Shows:
- Waltz of My Heart: Tuesday February 7
- That's Amore: Tuesday March 7
- Glenn Miller and the Andrew Sisters: Tuesday May 9
- From Phantom to Les Mis: Tuesday June 6
- It's Rainin' Men!: Tuesday July 4
- The Last Night of The Proms: Tuesday August 29
- Fabulous 50's: Tuesday October 10
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: Tuesday December 12
For more details visit www.operatunity.co.nz