" ▁to ▁" Bar bra ", ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁dis like ▁of ▁her ▁original ▁name . ▁ ▁Night club ▁shows ▁and ▁Broadway ▁stage ▁ ▁Stre is and ▁was ▁next ▁asked ▁to ▁aud ition ▁at ▁the ▁Bon ▁So ir ▁night club , ▁after ▁which ▁she ▁was ▁signed ▁up ▁at ▁$ 1 2 5 ▁a ▁week . ▁It ▁became ▁her ▁first ▁professional ▁eng agement ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁opening ▁act ▁for ▁com ed ian ▁Ph yll is ▁D iller . ▁She ▁rec alls ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁she ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁that ▁kind ▁of ▁ups c ale ▁environment : ▁" I ' d ▁never ▁been ▁in ▁a ▁night club ▁until ▁I ▁sang ▁in ▁one ." ▁ ▁D ennen ▁now ▁wanted ▁to ▁expose ▁Stre is and ▁to ▁his ▁vast ▁record ▁collection ▁of ▁female ▁sing ers , ▁including ▁Bill ie ▁Hol iday , ▁M abel ▁Mer cer , ▁Eth el ▁W aters , ▁and ▁Éd ith ▁Pia f . ▁Stre is and ▁realized ▁she ▁could ▁still ▁become ▁an ▁actress ▁by ▁first ▁gain ing ▁recognition ▁as ▁a ▁singer . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁bi ograph er ▁Christopher ▁Nick ens , ▁hearing ▁other ▁great ▁female ▁sing ers ▁benef ited ▁her ▁style , ▁as ▁she ▁began ▁creating ▁different ▁emot ional ▁characters ▁when ▁performing , ▁which ▁gave ▁her ▁singing ▁a ▁greater ▁range . ▁ ▁She ▁improved ▁her ▁stage ▁presence ▁when ▁speaking ▁to ▁the ▁audience ▁between ▁songs . ▁She ▁discovered ▁that ▁her ▁Brook lyn - bre d ▁style ▁of ▁humor ▁was ▁received ▁favor ably