Xharlie Black is the onstage alter-ego of Eddie Cole, a musician, singer and lifelong performer with showbiz in his blood. His great uncle was none other than the legendary Nat King Cole, and his father Edward Cole also carried on the family legacy and served as musical director for his cousin Natalie Cole for more than a decade. Also a skilled drummer, Eddie Cole has toured with the iconic rapper Nas for years, but these days he’s planted on the Las Vegas Strip as musical director and singer in Cirque du Soleil’s exciting new production Mad Apple at New York-New York.
Your family’s musical tradition is obviously a powerful force, but what were some of your other early influences that put you on this path?
Honestly, my dad. Nat King Cole is a humongous name, but this guy nobody really heard of, Edward Cole, he’s everything to me and I learned everything from him. My mom and dad met in college, two music nerds that made one more little music nerd. He’s definitely my greatest influence and how I got started, learning music production and all of that from him. Outside of that, I’ve always said I felt like I was born in the wrong decade because the soul of the ’60s and ’70s just resonates so much, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, that whole era. Those influences are very deep in my blood.
What is the most exciting part of joining the team behind Mad Apple?
I’ve been touring with Nas for a long time and in that setup, I’m the only other vocalist, so I’ve spent a lot of time singing by myself. When I found out this show would have this five-person singing group, that excited the hell out of me. There’s nothing like singing with other people. It’s a deep spiritual experience to be able to harmonize and flow with each other.
All the music in the show says something about New York City. What was your approach to tackling these iconic songs?
Our composer Evan Duffy did an incredible job; he’s a true student of music and he gets an assignment and nails it. He did his research and knocked it out of the park. As musical director, my job is to come in and enhance that with our live musicians and just make it big and strong and give it that live energy. And the music is breathing and moving with the other acts that are happening at the same time. That’s the beautiful part, to build those dynamics with musicians and the other performers in the show. It’s never dull. We’re always on our toes and ready for whatever is coming.
You get time to shine, singing Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” but it’s a very different and powerful presentation of such a familiar song, and there’s a lot happening onstage at the same time.
I’m glad that is translating well. I never know how that moment feels, even though I’ve seen video, but the visuals that are going on make it very special in so many ways. I wish I could get the full experience like everybody else, to see (the acrobat) performing at the same time. There have been so many times I want to look up and see the act while I’m singing.
You are still new to Vegas. Have you had any time to explore the city a bit?
Not yet. We’ve been down in the trenches getting the show off the ground, but it’s clearing up a bit now that we are in full swing. Building camaraderie in the cast is very important to me, and it’s 40-something people from all over the world, and we are a family now. So, I like giving that energy to the cast when I do have some free time, but I’m also a father of three, so I have to make any free time I might have. Being with a new cast can be hectic sometimes, but it hasn’t been. I love my castmates and there’s a lot of love from the green room to the stage… Everybody is really cool, and my kids love ’em.
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