Albright stars as 'Evita' for ASEAN

Albright stars as 'Evita' for ASEAN

SINGAPORE (AP): In a command performance, a playful Madeleine Albright delivered a rendition Tuesday of Don't cry for me ..., a spoof the U.S. secretary of state had sung to wow her foreign minister friends at a dinner.

Flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to this city-state for a one-day visit, Albright entertained her staff and the traveling press corps by reprising her Monday night "maiden performance on an Asian stage."

Albright had performed in one of 19 skits during the Association of Southeast Asian nations dinner. The only thing missing in the airplane revival was her black dress and a red orchid in her hair.

"I had a good time," Albright said, raising her arms in the style of the heroine of the musical, Evita, which featured the song "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina."

Clearing her throat, Albright demonstrated her technique.

"Don't cry for me ASEANies," she sang.

"They're gonna turn all this into a movie

"Starring Madonna

"As Madeline Albright

"And Jackie Chan

"As Dr. Mahathir

"They'll film a cliff-hanger

"From the Sunway monorail."

Albright and Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad clashed Monday over human rights and falling Southeast Asia currencies after he blamed American businessman George Soros for manipulating the market.

Actor Jackie Chan, of course, battles with the bad guys in action movies.

Satirizing the tiffs, Albright warbled:

"I came here to talk to your leaders

"But they were all on the golf course

"So I went back to

"Sunway Laguna

"And called George Soros

"Talked market forces

"Hatched a conspiracy

"The rest is history."

Albright spokesman Nicholas Burns assured reporters the Southeast Asian diplomats didn't take offense at her performance, and in fact gave her a standing ovation before she had sung a word.

"She's a ham, a natural born comedienne," Burns said. "They didn't really know her before she came here. And she was pretty tough on them during their meetings, so I think they liked seeing her softer side."

As for the other countries' skits, Burns said the Russians' was among the best, with Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov and company singing Moscow Nights while dressed in striped sailor uniforms of the Black Sea Fleet.

"Russkies are your friends!" they sang.

The most outrageous? "The breakdancing Koreans," Burns said.