ELVIS HOPEFULS VIE FOR SHOT AT CBS SERIES.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

HOLLYWOOD - Pretenders to the throne of the King of Rock 'n' Roll turned out by the hundreds Wednesday, belt buckles glittering in the sunlight, hoping to secure a role in an upcoming CBS miniseries detailing the rise of Elvis Presley.

Answering an open casting call that sought actors who looked 18 to 33 years of age and could sing 10 bars of any Elvis song, they came from all over the country, bringing guitars and gold sunglasses, wives and agents.

The line stretched a half-block down Beverly Boulevard, where a young Elvis imitator chatted with a middle-age facsimile who sported glued-on sideburns. There was a look-alike talking on his cell phone. And a wannabe checking his hairdo in the reflection of a minivan window.

Some looked pretty good in their tight pants, others never should have been allowed near a black leather jumpsuit. Blue suede shoes abounded, all worn with the hope of capturing the elusive essence of the King.

The prize was a callback from the row of casting executives and producers who held the key to the starring role in ``Elvis,'' slated to air next May. Those who got it went to the green room to learn their lines; those who didn't departed, presumably in search of the Heartbreak Hotel.

Alex Pages, a 43-year-old MTA bus driver from Fontana, crafted his intricate sequined outfit out of what appeared to be a nylon jacket, yet still managed to pull off a distinctly Presley-esque aura from behind a massive pair of gold shades.

``When I pop the glasses on, I don't know what happens, man,'' he said, affecting a Mississippi drawl and curling his upper lip to deliver the singer's signature line. ``Thank you very much!''

Chris Monteith, a 28-year-old who's been at it for 10 years, brought his wife, agent and agent's son to keep him company in line.

``You need it all - the moves, the looks, the charisma,'' the North Carolina native said, straightening his white suit.

In a tweed coat, black shirt and white tie and strumming a Fender acoustic guitar, Dean Zeligman, 21, was the picture of the shy young truck driver who turned into an explosion of electric sexuality on stage.

``Y'all are pretty sick of looking at black hair and sideburns by now, aren't ya?'' drawled Zeligman, a Lancaster native and professional Elvis impersonator who was one of the lucky few asked to read a scene.

Inside the cold studio, in front of a red curtain with a hot microphone to sing into, things turned coldly professional.

Voices cracked, nerves flared and, one by one, a sea of confident Elvis Presleys became a string of vulnerable pretenders.

``There are very few people who can walk through the door, step up to the mike and make you go 'Wow,''' said Peter Golden, CBS' executive vice president of talent and casting.

``The trick is to show the boyish naivete that he had when he was starting out, then the tremendous superstar confidence in his 30s.''

Jake Engle, an 18-year-old from Yachats, Ore., didn't bring a cape, dye his hair or even announce that he'd left the building, making him a strangely low-key performer in a field of showoffs.

But he thought he had the underlying charisma he needed to stand out among the long line of aspirants to be the next King.

``For an Elvis audition, expect a blockful of Elvises,'' he said. ``When this came along, I said, Hey, I've got to go - heat, cold, rain, whatever. I'll do whatever it takes to stand in line for the five minutes of fame.''

Brent Hopkins, [phone]

brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 4 -- color) CBS held an open casting call Wednesday for actors who look 18-33 years old for an upcoming miniseries about Elvis Presley. At top, Donny Edwards of Las Vegas takes his turn before the judges. Above, a sequined jumpsuit-clad Elvis impersonator heads for the Studio City tryouts accompanied by his own Priscilla. Pompadours were the preferred hairstyle, as seen by the group of four would-be Kings above right. Jamie Tintor of Hibbing, Minn., right, waits for his chance to sing.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer