At the April 17 opening night of the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s often stunning production of “Fiddler on the Roof” I happened to chat with four people who had never seen the show before.

It’s good for a critic to be reminded that there are always newcomers to even the most classic warhorses of American musical theater. I somewhat envied that this was their first time meeting Tevye the milkman and the world-weary but defiant residents of the Russian village of Anatevka and discovering the funny and moving musical about the importance of traditions and how progress inevitably forces change.

In one of his solitary moments, Tevye asks how far he can bend those traditions and his beliefs before he breaks. Director Peter Rothstein, the theater’s producing artistic director, may have asked himself something similar about rethinking the show. The result, especially for those who have seen it numerous times, is one of renewal. It is both traditional and different in refreshing but meaningful ways.

Working with choreographer Daniel Pelzig and a wonderful design team, Rothstein brings us a different view of Tevye’s world and the pressures to leave put on the Jewish villagers by Russian authorities. By having actors double as musicians to form the orchestra, he echoes John Doyle’s concepts for Broadway revivals of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” and “Sweeney Todd.”

Everyone on stage plays an instrument aside from the commanding, funny and lovable Jeremy Radin as Tevye. The songs by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, from “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” through “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Far From the Home I Love,” still sound beautiful and tender.

Such ideas can seem like a gimmick, but it never feels like one in this “Fiddler.” In fact, after a few moments you may stop noticing that Lauren Molina, as a feisty and opinionated Golde, Tevye’s wife, is playing a cello, or that Rachel Gubow, as their oldest daughter, Tzeitel, carries a violin and her beloved Motel, the Tailor, plays the trumpet.

We notice them when Rothstein wants us to, when it might mean something special or when they are not just providing musical backup. There are just enough people playing strings, accordions, clarinets or percussion to allow for one performer to take a pause to sing while the others play.

This approach doesn’t make me like the show more or less. I already the score and Joseph Stein’s book were pretty perfect. But it did allow me to watch it with fresh eyes and a new appreciation of the story. That’s particularly true of the still-timely aspects of hatred and the condescending attitude of the seemingly “nice” Russians carrying out government orders that lead to pogroms and a wave of immigrants heading to new lands.  

It may be fun to watch the actors play instruments, but more importantly, they are well-matched to their roles. You feel the love between Gubow’s Tzeitel and David Darrow as Motel, the nervous and shy tailor who stands up to Tevye to ask for permission for a marriage not arranged by the matchmaker. You also feel the political and romantic passion in Trent Dahlin’s performance as the “radical” tutor Perchik, who wants to change the world and asks Tevye’s second-oldest, Hodel, to join him wherever his protests take him. In Noa Luz Barenblat’s fine performance, she conveys how Hodel takes after both parents, respectful but defiant. And she has a pure voice perfectly suited to the sweet “Far From the Home I Love.”

Love is a new concept in the world of Anatevka, prompting the delightfully comic duet “Do You Love Me?” between Golde and Tevye, which brings out the tenderness that we don’t usually get to see between them. We already well how much they know and understand one. That is clear in the comically vibrant “Tevye’s Dream,” a tale he spins to win Golde’s support for a wedding. 

Molina is funny, stern and a touch broad as Golde, a strong counterweight to Radin’s Tevye. They’re both loud, determined and adorable. Radin makes you feel Tevye’s weariness as he lugs around his milk cart. This is a pious man who works hard, debates God and provides for his family.

The impressive cast also features Tina Stafford as the meddlesome Yente, the matchmaker, Jason Pintar as the butcher Lazar Wolf and Andrii Padkovskyi as the Fiddler, who is a part of everyone’s life in Anatevka.

The show is given a beautifully ramshackle look by scenic designer Kate Sutton Johnson, who creates some barely standing wooden structures that look like they would fall down with a strong breeze. They are surrounded by tall trees covered with green leaves that fade or disappear as the seasons change, aided by Philip Rosenberg’s mood-stirring lighting. Howard Tsvi Kaplan’s costumes look like they came straight from early 20th century Anatevka, with the weathered look of well-worn and used clothing to support the idea that we are watching survivors.

Pelzig keeps the actors moving, even when the characters aren’t dancing per se. But then he creates a lively spirit during “To Life” as the men stomp and twirl with abandon, and the tenderness of the “Sunrise, Sunset” wedding sequence. And Pelzig hews closely to Jerome Robbins’ original for the Bottle Dance that provides one of those only-in-the-theater thrills.

More than 60 years since “Fiddler” opened on Broadway it remains a potent story about resilience, family and community. The large cast of more than two dozen performers fill the Asolo Rep stage and make the show feel more intimate than it would on a Broadway stage so you become immersed in their world and the battles raging around them. 

“Fiddler on the Roof.” Book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. Directed by Peter Rothstein. Reviewed April 17. Presented by Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Through May 24. Tickets are $371-$104. asolorep.org; 941-351-8000