San Diego Well Represented in Tony Nominations : Stage: The music and lyrics to ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ earn Encinitas composer Hugh Martin his fourth nomination.

Once again, San Diego was well represented in the Tony Award nominations, with five nominations for “The Piano Lesson” (the Old Globe was one of its 10 producers), eight for “The Grapes of Wrath,” which was produced by the La Jolla Playhouse before the Broadway run, and one nomination for choreography for “Dangerous Games,” which was co-produced by the La Jolla Playhouse.

Also surprised by a Tony nomination was Encinitas composer Hugh Martin, who has never done a show in San Diego. Martin, who will be 76 on Aug. 11, picked up his fourth Tony nomination for his music and lyrics for “Meet Me in St. Louis,” which he penned with longtime partner Ralph Blane.

Martin was last nominated for his work with Timothy Gray on the 1964 production of “High Spirits,” the musical adaptation of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.” They each received three nominations for book, music and lyrics.

The distance between nominations marks a distance between shows for a composer who describes his music as having been out of fashion for the last 30 years.

On principle, he said, he has never liked the idea of theater awards, but he acknowledges that this one comes as a welcome sign that his Broadway days are not over.

“All my life I’ve been against awards, just like Marlon Brando and George Scott,” said Martin. “I think there should be a brotherhood in the theater. But I guess I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth. I feel like throwing my hat in the air.”

Even more precious than the nomination though, was a letter that came in the mail from also-nominated composer Stephen Sondheim, who told Martin that he was one of the reasons Sondheim went into the theater.

“I treasure this,” said Martin. “He’s the most sophisticated writer since Gershwin, and I’m a naive primitive like Grandma Moses. But we appreciate each other.”