You really could not make this up. Stephen Barry is from Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland, and he had already done something impressive by winning a scholarship to study at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. He completed a Masters Degree in Musical Theatre, but the years of study still left him in debt, so he turned to busking to bring in some extra cash.
Stephen has a powerful voice, with a range running from bottom E to top D, and he often sang songs from well known musicals while performing on the street. On November 10, 2016, he was singing in Covent Garden and chose a song from Phantom of the Opera. People stopped to listen, as they usually did, drawn in by his sound.
After finishing one Phantom song, a woman in the audience asked him to sing All I Ask of You. As Stephen later explained, “With my most withering scathing tone, I told her I can’t be doing two Phantom songs in a row.” It was meant half joking, half firm, the way a tired busker might respond in the moment.
Instead of backing off, the woman surprised him by offering to sing it with him. Stephen shot back with, “Are you any good?” not really expecting what came next. She stepped forward anyway, and the duet began, right there in the middle of Covent Garden.
The woman turned out to be Celinde Schoenmaker, who at the time was playing Christine in Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre. She had recognized that Stephen was classically trained and clearly knew what he was doing. She was happy to have a little spontaneous fun and see where the moment went.
The singing itself was exactly as strong as you would hope, but what really sold the video was Stephen’s reaction. His face said everything as he realized who he was singing with, and Schoenmaker encouraged him warmly the entire time, calm and professional while he was completely starstruck.
The moment was filmed by Carol E, who had stopped to listen because she thought Stephen had a “most incredible voice”. She stayed when she heard the exchange and quickly pulled out her phone. Later she said, “I feel very privileged to have witnessed such a special moment in person”.
After that day, Stephen went on to appear in several stage musicals, including The Choir of Man. In 2018, he became a finalist on Ireland’s Got Talent, where his voice again caught national attention. His career kept moving, even if the path was not always predictable.
According to his Facebook page, Stephen is now traveling the world singing on cruise ships. He has gathered over 3300 followers, many of them finding him through the viral Phantom duet. As he puts it, his page is mostly travel photos mixed with “occasional writing pieces, a few songs and some questionable stories throughout”.
From the look of things, Stephen seems to be enjoying every minute of it. And sure, there may be many highlights along the way, but it is hard to imagine any topping those few magical minutes singing Phantom of the Opera with Christine herself, completely by surprise, on a street corner.
