Rodgers and Hammerstein offer shows that are as corny as Kansas in August, but they always have enough darkness to almost balance the light: Jud in Oklahoma!, racism in South Pacific, and Nazis in Sound of Music. One of their most popular, The King and I, based on Margaret Landon’s novel Anna and the King of Siam, doesn’t have as strong a darkening agent to balance the cloyingly sweet. Sure, there’s that whole multiple wife/forbidden love between concubine and servant angle, but try to pit that against “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance,” and “I Whistle a Happy Tune.” No contest. So if you like a bushel of sweet and just a peck of sour, you’re in luck, because Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is mounting The King and I. It’s quite a change from their last offering, the risqué (for them) The Full Monty. Since this show is in their, if you’ll forgive the pun, sweet spot, you’d expect near-perfection. However, there is a downside for those mounting a production. This show is indelibly linked to one performer; attempting to replace Yul is tricky. Do the actor and director decide to bring their own? Do they go for artful mimicry? Damning occurs with dos and don’ts. Here, director Brian J. Enzman and his star, Galloway Stevens, don’t. And the result doesn’t quite. And that’s unavoidably regrettable.

The upside is Jennifer Davis-Johnson. She is prim, golden-throated, a strong presence, and just snippy enough to create a recognizable conflict between Anna and the King. Her performance is strong enough to tip the scales in favor of this production. This is despite Stevens. This King is short in stature, weaker in voice, and limited in performance range. It’s a stretch to see in him a royal carriage and self-centered myopia. Davis-Johnson and Stevens are a limited couple, even with a strong connection between them, and that’s an important limitation. The doomed lovers Ceilia Shea and Toshiji Takeshima are as unbalanced as the leads. Shea is a strong singer and performer, but Takeshima seemed so uncomfortable and nervous onstage, his voice wavered and his hands shook.

However, the ensemble is a little less mixed than the leading couples. They are a bright, lively, and coordinated bunch. The cuteness of the Children of the King is a big selling point. The Royal Wives are a fun collective. Molly LaJoie’s choreography is strong, especially her work with “The Small House of Uncle Thomas” sequence, and the ensemble does well performing it. The difficulty of casting a collection of Siamese in the Valley of the Sun is surprisingly well handled. The weakest supporting part of the evening is J.R. McAlexander’s orchestra, especially the out-of-tune horn section.