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Behind the Show

"Keith Moon: The Real Me”

explodes on the stage with the turmoil and excitement of the wildest drummer in rock and roll. A living legend during his lifetime, Keith Moon still stands as the pinnacle of rock-star extremism—both in life and music. The play explores the mind of Keith Moon, as he attempts to save himself from the unbearable burden of living up (or down) to his self-created legend of ‘Moon the Loon'. As Keith attempts to save himself, he takes the audience on a journey through his early struggles, his joining The Who, and their rise as one of the world’s greatest rock bands. By the show’s end, the audience intimately knows the man behind the myth—his acute vulnerability and insecurity, and his struggle to escape the ever-looming rock and roll crash landing.

Writer, actor, musician Mick Berry has been working on this project since an earlier version of the production played The Eureka (The Gateway Theatre) in 2013. Believing there was yet more of Moon’s life that demanded deeper, and more personal, volatile and intimate exploration, Berry’s newest incarnation, in collaboration with director Carlin, offers audiences an immediate experience into the mind of Keith Moon as he struggles with his demons, shares his ideas on creativity and genius, while desperately trying to pull himself out of his self-induced downfall. The results are comic,shocking, terrifying, and universal.

Mick Berry (Actor, Musician, Author) Cited by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “local phenom”, Mick has previously written and performed three critically acclaimed one-man shows; "What’s My Mantra?", "Dad Fought Hitler, the Bottle & Me", and "Beats Working (A Young Man’s Show Biz Journey from Insecurity to Low Self-Esteem)". He has been a stand-up comic, worked with San Francisco, Marin and California Shakespeare, California Conservatory Theatre, and San Francisco Mime Troupe. He is also co-author of three books, including The Drummer’s Bible which has sold over 20,000 copies to date. He resides in San Francisco where he teaches private lessons, and is a drummer in several popular local bands.

Nancy Carlin (Director) In addition to Mick Berry’s "Keith Moon: The Real Me", Nancy is the director of solo performers Dylan Brody (Dylan Brody’s Driving Hollywood), Trevor Allen (Working for the Mouse), Roger Grunwald (The Obligation), and Arje Shaw (Magic Hands Freddy). Carlin is a director, actor, writer, producer, and acting teacher. A former company member of the American Conservatory Theater and longtime associate artist with California Shakespeare Theater, Nancy is a member of PlayGround. She has performed and directed extensively in regional theaters, including A.C.T., Berkeley Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Aurora Theater Company, Shotgun Players, Center Rep, Marin Theater Company, African-American Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Jewel Theater and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. She co-authored the musical, Max Understood, which was developed at the O’Neill National Music Theatre Conference and the New York Musical Theater Festival and had its premiere in SF in 2015. Nancy co-produced the feature film, Haiku Tunnel and has appeared in a number of films. She is the recipient of numerous Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and DramaLogue awards for best Principle Performance, Best Supporting Performance, and Best Director. Carlin holds a BA in comparative literature from Brown University and an MFA in acting from A.C.T. She is a member of SDC, AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and Dramatists Guild.

Frank Simes (Musical Director) In addition to "Keith Moon: The Real Me", Frank is Musical Director for The Who and Roger Daltrey. He has recorded and performed with Mick Jagger, Stevie Nicks, Martha Davis (of The Motels) and with Don Henley—as a guitarist and vocalist, and soon after as a songwriter when he co-wrote “Workin’ It” and “Goodbye to a River”. Simes was featured on the Inside Job DVD and continues to work with Henley today. He has received awards for platinum records, as well as several nominations for Grammy awards. Additionally, Simes has worked with Rod Stewart, Don Felder, Charlotte Church, Sylvie Vartan, Engelbert Humperdinck, David Lee Roth, Warren Zevon and Roger Waters. He has played on Roger Daltrey’s album Moonlighting and appeared in The Who’s documentary Amazing Journey. Since 1993, Simes has composed over 1,400 pieces of music for such companies as Paramount TV and Los Angeles Post Music. He has also composed original guitar and piano pieces in the Modern, Baroque, and Romantic styles, some of which were recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Also a producer, Frank Simes is the recipient of nine platinum records with such artists as Don Henley, Rod Stewart, various soundtrack albums, Rod Stewart, various soundtrack albums, three albums on Sony, rod Stewarts on “As Time Goes By, the Great American Songbook, Volume II”, Roger Daltrey’s Moonlighting Anthology CD and DVD, and Daltrey’s “Gold” CD, as well as on Engelbert Humperdinck’s “The Winding Road” album and “Greatest Hits and More”. He has also recorded with Art Garfunkel on “Some Enchanted Evening”, Mylene Farmer on her “Innamoramento” album, and with Sylvie Vartan on her album “Nouvelle Vague”, and five albums for vocalist Ann Lewis. In addition, Frank Simes has composed and recorded a musical entitled “The Door” with partner Lisa Verlo. Together they formed Soundlove Productions, collaborating on a children’s CD, “Turner’s Treehouse”, a treatment for a children’s TV show, and several other show concepts. Simes has toured as lead guitarist and musical director in Roger Daltrey’s No Plan B band for the Use It or Lose It tour. Continuing as musical director and lead guitarist for Roger Daltry, he has performed the legendary rock opera Tommy, The Who classics, and Daltrey’s solo works. Simes was Musical Director and performed on keyboards and backing vocals for a 35-date tour playing their album Quadrophenia in its entirety.

Mick Berry as Keith Moon.

Photos courtesy of Keith Moon: The Real Me.