HI MOM! GET READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP SHOW BRINGS OUT THE HOT IN MOTHER.

Byline: BRENT HOPKINS Staff Writer

In a room full of knockout mothers adorned with showy jewelry, cowboy hats and outlandish boots, Erin Hamilton boasted the ultimate accessory: 5-week-old Dylan Joseph Hamilton West.

The 38-year-old disco singer and teen counselor heard producers were on the hunt Sunday for the ``Hottest Mom in America,'' a reality program in development. She bundled her young son into his stroller, threw on a black dress -- better for nursing -- and headed to The El Rey Theatre on the Miracle Mile.

A line of moms in high heels, tight jeans and low-cut tops snaked down Wilshire Boulevard. Inside, photographers' strobes fired and mothers smiled and struck sexy poses.

Hamilton, a Koreatown resident, rocked Dylan back and forth as she filled out her application. He was an attention magnet.

``Aww, c'mon, Booger. Good baby,'' she cooed at him. ``You gotta have a sense of humor as a mom. Otherwise, all you care about is stinky diapers and smelly milk.''

While other mothers showed off their still-taut bodies and wrinkle-free faces to compete for the attention of cameramen, Hamilton hoisted her baby to her shoulder and beamed. Many moms flaunted their bosom for the judges; she used hers to nurse.

Producers have scoured Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, New York and now Los Angeles for mothers with good looks and plenty of attitude. On Sunday, they expected 1,000 moms to make their way to the El Rey. There, they were evaluated by judges keen to see how their looks, charm, poise and grace held up against a relentless torrent of screaming kids, soccer practices and broken-down minivans.

By midnight, they planned to whittle the field down to five. In coming months, those finalists will compete against other cities' top moms and a nationwide field of Internet applicants. In spring, the show should take shape in seven to 13 episodes, which executive producer Jeff Greenfield hopes to shop to networks and develop for overseas production.

As ``The Graduate'' did a generation ago, ``Desperate Housewives'' has made moms a hot commodity once again.

``When you see a woman in her early 40s at the supermarket with a little kid and some super-low-rise jeans, she might be better looking than your 22-year-old girlfriend,'' Greenfield said. ``Your girlfriend looks good because she's young. The 40-year-old looks good because she works at it. And that's hot.''

Oh, and work at it, they do.

Blanca Arias, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher from Pomona, came to try out at the insistence of her four children. Classy-looking in a red blouse, black shorts and black stilettos, her look belied her packed schedule.

``I wake up at 4 a.m. and work out from 4:30 to 6:30,'' she said. ``Drop the kids off, work to 3:30 and pick 'em up. Soccer practice, baseball practice, theater, back-to-school night, make dinner, put them to bed and then do it all over again.''

Some contestants got a little extra help, such as Olympia Schorr, a Palm Springs mom who enlisted the help of her husband, Kurt. While she tried out inside, he spoon fed their 14-month-old son, Oliver, a mango chicken puree and watched over the stroller.

``My wife gets a lot of compliments when she's out. People don't believe she's really a mom,'' Schorr said, scraping chicken chunks off the bottom of the bottle. ``But she's a great one. She's really sacrificed a lot, so I wanted to support her out here today.''

Three kids and a packed schedule couldn't keep Rachelle Meyer, a 28- year-old Encino mom, stuck at home. In addition to trucking around her 5-,7-, and 8-year-old children, she works full time as an events planner and expects to look good in the process.

With her long, slim legs tucked tightly into blue jeans and a red tank top that matched her high heels, Meyer looked like, well, a hot mom. As she waited for her turn before the camera, she twirled her brown hair around long, delicate fingers.

``I think it's important to take care of yourself and stay proactive -- nails done, hair done, eyebrows done,'' she said. ``It's important to feel good about yourself if you're going to raise your kids. Plus, with three children, I'd better look good enough to keep my husband around.''

brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com

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4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Daniela Lazar lets a laugh out as she poses for a photgrapher during her audition for the ``Hottest Mom in America'' show Sunday at The El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.

(2 -- 4 -- color) ``Hottest Mom in America'' hopefuls line up outside The El Rey Theatre for auditions Sunday in Los Angeles, top. Above, Erin Hamilton changes the diaper of her son, 5-week-old Dylan, while auditioning for the show. At right, Lisa Tate poses for a photograph during the audition. In the coming months, five finalists from Los Angeles will compete against other cities' top moms and a nationwide field of Internet applicants.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer