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NY’S SEE-PORT

Elvis nearly blew the audition by neglecting to plug in his iPod.

Decked out in a golden jumpsuit and matching sneakers, the King – as portrayed by 65-year-old retired attorney Ray Sitar – apologized for this brief technical glitch, and tried again.

With his MP3-powered musical accompaniment now restored, he kicked his pelvic engine into high gear for a nearly pitch-perfect rendition of “Don’t Be Cruel.”

But Elvis, like the 90 or so other acts who auditioned for one of the 25 lucrative street performer slots at the South Street Seaport yesterday, will have to wait to find out if he makes the cut.

PHOTO GALLERY: Street Performer Tryouts

“I would really like one of the spots, because unlike some parts of the city, nobody is going to try to steal your sport, or worse, steal your money,” Sitar said. “It’s a controlled environment with wonderful crowds.”

Part carnival sideshow, part “American Idol,” the annual auditions brought a Fellini cast of clowns, mimes, acrobats, jugglers and contortionists to Pier 17.

Joan Cooney, who coordinates the street-performer program, said she and the judges will “look for a variety of family-oriented acts – we have to get a sense of how many magicians we have and how many mimes.”

Though veteran performers were vague about their earnings, many said they easily earned hundreds of dollars during each three-hour slot. And unlike more spontaneous stages such as subway cars and platforms, the Seaport provides much more peace of mind, they said.

“On the subway, you always have to deal with belligerent drunks or homeless people,” said living statue and street clown Daniel Burke, 30. “Not to mention the kids who poke you and say, ‘Is this real?’ At the Seaport, people come in part to see street performers.”

Contortionist Yogi Laser, whose rubbery physique bends around itself several times and can be packed into a plastic box seemingly with ease, has such a huge following at the Seaport that he is guaranteed slots again this summer.

Laser, who would not reveal how much he earns other than to say “I do very well,” said the hardest thing has been maintaining his skills with age.

“As I get older, it becomes all the more amazing,” he said.

Elvis looked on with amazement as the acrobatic troupe Cirque-tacular assembled a 25-foot tall rickety-looking “aerial rig” and performed a series of broken-bone-defying feats with only a rug for a safety net.

“Cirque du Soleil is very exciting, but they charge $116 to get in. We do it on the street for almost nothing,” said Melissa Marie Wilhelm.

The winners will be announced in coming days.

jeremy.olshan@nypost.com