"Fiddler on the Roof" seems older than its 40 years because of its universal appeal and numerous revivals. Its songs and much of its dialogue have remarkable sticking power — see the show once and you take them away with you; see it again and you anticipate the words and music an instant before you hear them.

Such familiarity breeds high expectations, so it's good that the staging at Army Community Theater is carried by the music and sturdy performances in the primary roles, despite some tentative voices in the supporting cast.

Dennis Proulx is excellent as Tevye, the Jewish milkman who talks to God and struggles to keep his daughters from making uncustomary marriages. Set in a small Russian village a few years before the 1917 revolution, Tevye's trials test his faith against social and political upheaval and religious prosecution.

If you ask about the underlying theme, the answer comes in one word: "Tradition."

Proulx renders Tevye as a large and imposing figure, softened by self-deprecating humor and a penchant for giving in to the women in his life. He also powers the best songs in Act One, mincing through "If I Were A Rich Man," boisterous on the celebratory "To Life" and pensive on the touching "Sunrise Sunset."

In the dancing, he leads with his belly, and in creating the character, he leads with his heart. And when he's not roaring against the indignities of fate, he's maneuvering around Golde, his uncompromising wife of 25 years.

Shari Lynn's Golde is strongly present in the action, adding just the right comic and musical balance to "The Dream" and "Do You Love Me?" She gets no solos of her own, but is absolutely essential in framing Tevye in his proper perspective.

Priscilla Stafford and Richard Bragdon slowly build their roles as Tzeitel, the eldest daughter and Motel, her tailor suitor. Sylvia Horman-Alper and Jim Tharp add strong support as Yente the matchmaker and Lazar Wolf, the butcher.

Director Coco Wiel moves the action and inserts huge stylized masks and gigantic puppet hands for the dream sequence that convinces Golde to allow Tzeitel to change her engagement. Jennifer Shannon's choreography is not demanding, but allows the chorus to add ethnic flavor with simple folk-dance moves. Musical director Lina Jeong Doo gets fine sound and volume from the orchestra and singers.

The fiddler image personifies the bittersweet message of scratching out a simple life while keeping a delicate balance. This production of "Fiddler" tells that story with sensitivity and clarity.