In the summer of 2009, Catch Me If You Can lured crowds to 5th Avenue Theatre with Frank Abagnale’s smooth cons, high-kicking stewardesses, and a spirited score by the team that did Hairspray. It had potential—and more than a few kinks to work out. Former Seattle Met arts editor Steve Wiecking called the musical a shiny con job. The Seattle Times said it was "a pop-savvy period piece, dispatched with gusto and panache… with a few questionable detours en route."

The show jetted off to Broadway with much of the cast and production team in tact, and opened a few weeks ago to… more mixed reviews. But today, it picked up four Tony nominations, including best musical and best actor for Norbert Leo Butz’s turn as FBI agent Carl Hanratty. It’s up against some stiff competition from The Book of Mormon (leading all nominees with 12 nods), Sister Act, and The Scottsboro Boys. Though I’d like to root for the hometown production, there’s something right in the world when the guys who make South Park are up for multiple Tonys.

Other notables with Seattle ties:

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the musical collaboration of film auteur Pedro Almodóvar and former Intiman artistic director Bart Sher, earned three Tony nominations.

Former Seattle Rep artistic director Daniel Sullivan is up for best direction of a play for The Merchant of Venice.

View the complete list of Tony nominees at tonyawards.com.