VALLEY CENTER -- In show biz vernacular, listeners said Dan Arvidson "nailed it" during his audition Saturday for a nationally televised talent show.

Arvidson, who recently lost his restaurant job, was one of an estimated 300 contestants Saturday at Valley View Casino trying to woo producers of the TV program "America's Got Talent" for a chance spot on the show and a shot at fame and fortune.

Some of those vying for a callback from the show's judges said Arvidson's performance of Frank Sinatra's 'Summer Wind' was enough to put him at the top of the talent totem pole.

"His singing was the best, he's at the top of the heap," said Carl Johnston, an Escondido man who sang "Old Man River" during his own audition, which followed Arvidson's.

"I'm pretty happy with what I did up there on stage," Johnston said. "I think I deserve a chance to move on, but his performance is what everybody will be judged against. He was great."

Another singing contestant, Benjamin Mendoza of San Diego, concurred.

"That guy (Arvidson) that sang Sinatra, he's the best here today," said Mendoza, who performed the Josh Groban tune "You Raise Me Up" to the cheers of onlookers.

"What I did is probably among the top five of what was done here today, so if they take the top five, then I think I'll be in," said Mendoza, 37, a native of Columbia. "But he (Arvidson) was clearly the best here today. He was so good, I thought I was hearing Sinatra."

Penny Martin, vice president of programming and creative services at San Diego-based television station KNSD, which hosted the event, said some contestants at Saturday's audition could be part of the variety show when it begins a new season in June.

"We're looking for singers, dancers, magicians -- all kinds of talent -- a little bit of everything," said Martin, who said tapes of every act would be sent unedited to the program's judges. "We want to give the show's producers lots of different types of acts, so I'm sure we'll cover the gamut of entertainment here today."

The performance of two North County men was sure to help cover the gamut of entertainment that the producers were trying to capture on film.

Alex Reyes and Ace Torres drew laughs from the audience of contestants and casino onlookers when they sang and played guitar wearing Mexican-made wrestling masks.

The men, both 25, said after their performance, that they hoped to get a call to come to Los Angeles for another audition.

"We're not taking ourselves too serious, but it would be nice to have another shot," said Torres, a Vista resident who attended Rancho Buena Vista High school with Reyes. "This was just for fun, but we'd like to make it on the show."

Reyes, who resides in Escondido, said he thought the use of the masks might help the duo get a callback from the judges.

"Anything that we can do to stand out can't hurt us," Reyes said. "These masks are made in Tijuana, and everybody loves them. We might not get noticed for our music, but we might get a little more attention because of the masks."

After his performance, a Valley View Casino official with an offer to audition for a singing gig approached Arvidson, who said he lost his job of 17 years just two weeks ago.

"I guess they liked my singing, but now I need to find a band to play along with me if I'm going to have a chance to work for them," said Arvidson. "This isn't what I expected. I'm just hoping to get a chance to compete for a spot on the show, but if I can find a job as a result of auditioning here, then that would be great.

"Right now, when it comes to employment, I'm not being too picky," he said. "Any kind of restaurant work would be fine with me, but if I can get work singing here at the casino, that would be even better."