Identity itself is an act, an interpretation almost presented as illusion.

Ruleless by merit, and inherently dimensionless, the makings of personhood are far-reaching. Limitless, in other words.

“Pippin,” in its steampunk reincarnation through May 19 at Civic Theatre of Allentown, approaches their staging with a seeming philosophical angle that the book itself yearns for.

Heartily packaged as a Panic at the Disco-y reskin - often feeling like an indie rock fever dream - “Pippin” is inexplicably entertaining and equally reflective on a human level. “Pippin” was seen opening night, May 3, for this review.

Audiences are met with Bob Fosse’s footprint and thesis-evoking coming-of-age discourse. Leading to more confusion than comfort, this marriage of unlikely ingredients makes for one heck of a rare breed that is Stephen Schwartz’s hidden gem. And for the next few weeks, it is Deena Linn’s.

Finding cohesiveness in a story that is anything but is no easy calling. Feeling like a storyboard throughout, it felt as if Linn, director of Civic’s production of “Pippin,” was taking us through a full-course meal. Each moment smelled of intention, no actor left a crumb untouched. Often overwhelming the senses, Linn led this magical troupe of hip-rolling nomads to heights unimagined; it was a carnival of perfection led by none other than the titular narrator, the Leading Player.

Inhabiting the spirit of Bob Fosse most was an electric, and inescapably magnetic, Mariel Letourneau. Earning the title of Leading Player, Letourneau was nowhere near miscast. Radiating with energy reminiscent of pop performers of the past, they set the tone for the magic that was promised within the opening number “Magic To Do.”

Driving with sizable command was also Patrick Mertz as Pippin himself, a relatable portrait of the everyman trope. Flirting with war, sexuality, introspection, nuclear family woes and the dreaded midlife crisis, audiences have a business class ticket to the psyche of “man.”

Leaving no human emotion untapped, Mertz takes us from unbridled hope in “Corner of the Sky” to a sharp turn towards life’s shapelessness. Whatever Mertz is singing about, though, they make sure it is delivered with unwavering strength. His tenor became its own set piece.

In almost every way, each actor had to become their own scenery. Still attached to their humanness, there was something inanimate about the larger cast. John Capocascale (Lewis) as the hilarious, and not-so-subtle gym membership-advertisement brother felt like a cartoon sketch. Armand Reiser (Charles), apt with vocal precision through “War Is a Science,” reminded of the Burger King mascot. They were like personified avatars of Pippin’s seemingly decaying mental health; imaginary characters in an otherwise real world, that is. “Pippin” is just an uncanny encounter with the fantastic: a love letter to the indescribable.

Feeling a bit more grounded than these dreamlike character archetypes are Kimberly Mertz as Fastrada, JoAnn Wilchek Basist as Berthe, and Sam Levisay as Catherine. Leaning on nothing but pure talent, Mertz, Wilchek and Levisay compete for some of “Pippin”’s best moments.

By the time the finale reveals itself, you will be left with the realization that you have met the best moment long before the final image. That would be the ensemble.

Maybe “Pippin” was never about the misfortune of navigating personhood, but about the people you meet on your way there.

“Pippin,” 7:30 p.m. May 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18; 2 p.m. May 5, 12, 19, Main Stage, Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown. 610-432-8943, https://civictheatre.com/