cabaret

DEE SPENCER, PIANO; JASON BROCK, VOCALS

MAY 11, 2025 @ 7:30pm

The Chan National Queer Arts Center is located at 170 Valencia Street - SF, CA - 94103

BROCK & SPENCER: THE QUEER AMERICAN SONGBOOK

Co-presented By The San Francisco International Arts Festival

The Chan National Queer Arts Center and San Francisco International Arts Festival join forces in an uncharacteristically wholesome manner—celebrating Mother’s Day in the company of two of the nation’s greatest authorities on show tunes as they bring a distinctly queer perspective to the Great American Songbook. Vocalist Jason Brock and pianist Dee Spencer present a curated cabaret featuring selections from songwriters such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Rogers & Hart, while sharing stories of the legendary LGBTQ+ performers who brought these songs to life over the years. More contemporary songs from the 1980s and 1990s will also be included, and audiences will be treated to the Queer Arts Center’s signature cabaret seating, bar service and other special Mother’s Day surprises.

IMPORTANT TICKET AND VENUE INFO

Tickets for this event are $52 for Premium Seating and $36 for Standard Seating and $26 for Rear Seating.
The event will be presented in our signature Cabaret-Style seating format.
Pansy’s at The Chan (our bar and lounge) will be open one hour prior to showtime and during the performance.

ARTIST BIOS

Dee Spencer is a Professor of Jazz and Musical Theatre in the School of Theatre & Dance at San Francisco State University (SFSU).

She received her B.S. from Florida A&M; M.M. at Washington University in St. Louis; and EdD., University of San Francisco. Dee founded the Jazz Studies degree program in the School of Music at SFSU and served as director for five years.

Dee Spencer’s musical director/sound designer credits include “Androcles and the Lion”, “Raisin” award-winning Theatreworks production with legendary directors Danny Duncan and Tony Haney, “Purlie Victorious”, “The Me Nobody Knows”, “No Place To Be Somebody”, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Sassy Divas”, “One Mo Time”, “Twelfth Night”, “Spring Awakening”, “Lysistrata”, “Chicago”, “Hair” and "Dreamgirls in Concert".

She has performed/recorded/toured/judged with Wynton Marsalis for Jazz at Lincoln Center; GRAMMY Award winning vocalist “Ledisi”, TOWER OF POWER’s Lenny Williams and legends John Handy, Jimmy Scott, Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, Regina Carter, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Bernard Purdie and X-Factor star Jason Brock and the legendary GLIDE ensemble. Her latest recording “Tranquility” was released in 2018. She is an Annual Screener for the GRAMMYs Music Awards.

Her former students include recording artists/producers, Braxton Brothers, BEYONCE’S music director, saxophonist Tia Fuller, and LAUREN HILL’S music director, saxophonist Howard Wiley.

As an active contributor to the San Francisco community, she founded the San Francisco Jazz Organization (SFJAZZ) education program and performed for a US Senator Kamala Harris’ fundraiser at the African American Cultural Center formerly headed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed. She also served as program director for the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts.

She has served on the following boards: International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), San Francisco Jazz Organization (SFJAZZ), Stanford Jazz Workshop, Community Music Center and the Women’s Audio Mission. Dee is currently serving on the People in Plaza and The Amateur Musicians Network boards.

Jason Brock is a singer and actor who was a top 12 finalist on the X-Factor USA (Season 2). He’s also a four-time recipient of the Bay Area Reporter’s “Best Male Cabaret Singer” award. Jason has released several singles and music videos throughout his career. He’s been seen in many Japanese and American TV shows, films and commercials, as well. He’s currently focusing on live performances in the US and abroad.