"Khanuma" is a musical comedy based on a famous play by Avksenty Tsagareli, with the libretto by Boris Ratser and Vladimir Konstantinov, and the music by Ghiya Kancheli.

The play takes place at the end of the XIX century in Tiflis, Georgia. An old and impoverished Prince Pantiashvili is looking for a rich bride, so a famous match-maker Khanuma finds him a wealthy old maid called Guliko. Yet, Khanuma has a rival: the other match-maker has set her mind on marrying Prince Pantiashvili to her own candidate – the young and beautiful Sona, daughter of a rich merchant Mikich. Mikich himself, too, is very much interested in this marriage, as he wants his daughter to be a Princess. To help his cause, he repurchases the Prince's debt bills.

Sona, on the other hand, is in love with Kote, Pantiashvili's nephew, who is giving her private singing lessons: he has to earn his living himself, as the Prince is too ruined to pay his allowance. Khanuma resolves to help the young lovers and, at the same time, ruin her rival's plans. On the day when Prince Pantiashvili is invited to Sona's house, Khanuma sneaks inside and pretends to be an uglier version of Sona. Terrified to see an old, hideous and limp bride, the Prince refuses to marry her.

To make sure that the Prince does not change his opinion, Khanuma introduces to him the real Sona under the name of Guliko. The Prince is absolutely charmed and swears to marry her. However, Sona's father Mikich reminds him about the debt bills. At that moment, Kote "comes to the rescue": he offers to marry Sona himself. That way, Mikich makes sure his daughter becomes a noblewoman, and the Prince is saved from the debtor's prison. Soon, Khanuma's deception is discovered, but everyone is still happy with the outcome. The Prince marries Guliko. Khanuma triumphs over her rival, and, eventually, finds her own happiness by marrying Mikich's manager!  

Khanuma's role is masterfully played by a Merited Actor of Russia Lada Semenova, who poured all of her charm into the role.

Just you imagine – this play premiered in Volgograd Musical Theater on October 17, 1997, and has since been ever popular with all audiences and all actors. Why do people love it so much? You can find the answer yourselves! This February, the play has been restored to the theater's repertory, with the new cast.