Deafening screams and thunderous applause marked the return to the Peninsula of Elvis Presley as 22,000 fans packed the Hampton Roads Coliseum, proving that if there were ever any doubt, Elvis the king still reigns supreme.

Within days after the night concert was scheduled it was sold out, and a matinee was added - and still, an hour before showtime, coliseum officials reported there were no tickets available as cars backed up on Interstate 64 enroute to the performance.

The hysteria is more controlled today than it was 15 years ago, but there's no doubt that the Presley magic is as potent as ever. He's a giant among the all-time superstars of the entertainment world and he was a giant in the mammoth coliseum Sunday, for everyone from the front-row seats to those watching with binoculars from the uppermost reaches.

Opening the show was the vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations, who performed well with a great deal of polish. Following was comedian Jackie De Hayne, specializing in marriage jokes such as "married men are the only people in the world who can watch television in their sleep," and "married women don't have ulcers but they're carriers."

But the audience came to see Elvis and they did. After a strong fanfare that in itself generated a feeling of excitement reminiscent of those days in the '50s when Elvis first became a national institution, he burst on stage in a flaring cape and was greeted by deafening applause and screams as he went into his opening number.

He's a little chubbier than he used to be, and the famed ducktail has been replaced by a pageboy that gives him Prince Valiant-type appearance, but the electricity is as magnetic as ever. On stage for more than an hour, he ran through a widely-varying selection of numbers, displaying his wide versatility.

Opening with more recent songs made popular by other artists such as "C.C. Rider" and "Rolling On The River," each move was choreographed as he went from one side of the stage to the other, turning so that no part of the audience was ignored. He often stopped during the highly-spirited concert to take a drink of water or wipe his face, but never once forgot that he was in the center of the spotlight and every eye in the coliseum was on every move he made.

He often changed tempo, and when he stopped the shouting rock songs that made him famous to get down to singing the quieter ballards, a still calmness prevailed - until the net number which found him going through those same gyrations that are a routine today but 15 years ago caused Ed Sullivan's cameramen to stick to head shots.

The first of his older records, "Love Me," brought fans from their seats to lean over the railings and when he started his classic "All Shook Up," the screams drowned out everything past "Bless My Soul" for the first part of the song, with sporadic screaming erupting throughout. He climaxed "Treat Me Nice," another oldie, by throwing his scarf into the audience, for the first of four times.

"Don't Be Cruel" and "Jailhouse Rock" started a clap-a-long in several sections of the arena before the tumultuous applause. Some comic byplay was followed by a very slow beginning of "Hound Dog," which started from a half-split position then he rose to his feet and built to a crescendo as he began the faster version that put him at the top of the hit parade. "Help Me Make It Though The Night" was a big crowd pleaser, and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was another number proving his wide vocal range.

"Love Me Tender" was another biggie, as was "Suspicious Mind," particularly when he dropped to his knees in a seductive manner. After a wild dance that would have been banned even a few years ago, he paused to introduce his back-up group and combo, down to the guy who was putting his cape back on.

You'd never believe anybody would do "Dixie" or "Glory Hallelujah" at a concert of this nature, but Elvis did, and some of the loudest applause of the performance came as he hit "His truth is marching on" in a reprise.

After an effective cape-waving hit, he did another favorite, "Heartbreak Hotel," but unfortunately, for a brief moment, his dependence on a hand mike, was obvious as held it too far away from his mouth.

After giving away a third scarf, he scored with a strong rendition of "For The Good Times," which he followed by "How Great Thou Art." He seemed to, if anything, have improved with age as he dug way back into the vaults of Presley oldies for "lawdy Miss Clawdy," which showed he can still be as flambouyant as ever as demonstrated the showmanship that made him a giant among giants when he reached over to kiss a woman who'd come up from the front row during "Funny How Time Slips Away," following with "Can't Help Falling In Love With You," he gave his final scarf to the same woman he'd kissed earlier.

As Elvis rushed offstage, the crowd began rushing toward the backstage area. And, while there wasn't any of the hysteria his performances created years ago, there was no doubt about it: Hampton saw the King - and he proved that he may well indeed reign forever.

Courtesy of Hampton Public Library