“Bhudoo” is an audacious theater piece that transports you to an alternative world a lot differant than our own.

Or is it?

“Bhudoo” is a metaphor for the world we live in. It’s an idealized creation of the world as it is, as it has been and as it could be. “Maybe the magic is real” is the play’s byword.

“Bhudoo,” created by Jp Jordan, Christopher Shorr and the Touchstone Ensemble and directed by Jordan, premiered March 31, the Charles A. Brown Icehouse, Bethlehem (the 3 p.m. April 3 performance was seen for this review), and continues 8 p.m. April 28, 29, Arena Theatre, Moravian College, Bethlehem; 2 p.m. April 30, Advent Moravian Church, Bethlehem, and 2 p.m. May 1, Saucon Park, Bethlehem.

The premise is that Araman, the Royal Grand Vizier (Bill George), is being challenged in an election bid by Maj (Mary Wright) and Deryn (Emma Chong).

The three characters couldn’t be more different. Araman is a benign dictator who, it turns out, is not so benign. Maj is a wild-eyed revolutionary with a very pragmatic, if grim, agenda. Deryn is a flower-wielding optimist who doesn’t seem to have a clue beyond her boundless naiveté.

There is direct audience involvement through “Bhudoo Beans” (actually, pocket-size boxes of Just Born “Ike and Mike” candy), with which the theater-goer is asked to “vote” by placing pieces of the candy in either or all of the three bowls proffered by each character. The “bean-counter” pun is not lost. As goes the voting, so goes the play’s plot in this delightfully immersive theatrical experience.

“Bhudoo” is paced by good songwriting, by turns comedic, romantic and philsophical, written by Jordan and Shorr. There are some great rhymes and word play and excellent three-part harmonies by the cast, who frequently accompany themselves on ukulele. There is a minimum of dialogue. The six songs advance the plot. In this, “Bhudoo” is not unlike a comic opera.

The staging, in the production design by Jordan and Shorr, is minimalist: one central platform surrounded by three smaller pedestals. At the IceHouse, the play was presented in-the-round, with a lot of audience interaction.

The one-act play, with a run time of about 75 minutes, is immensely engaging, chiefly because of the calibre of the three performers, aka Touchstone’s all-stars. George, Wright and Chong have performed with each other numerous times. Their timing, anticipating of each other’s moves and reacting to each other’s dialogue is flawless. The animé-inspired “energy-tossing fights” are fun.

George, with flowing gold-embroidered robes topped by a scull-cap, in the costumes by Lisa Jordan, brings a touch of the velvet glove to the role. Araman’s kindly disposition masks a steely ambition and political compass that has no moral points. He will stop at nothing to retain power, all while doing so with the most beneficent demeanor and a voice of whispery regalness.

Wright, in a rasta-vibration inspired outfit of vestments and pants and a dreadlocks wig, is a bundle of manic energy. Her darting, crouching and quick-moving body match her probing eyes. She speaks in a voice that is at once commanding and convincing. You do not doubt Maj’s goals. You may doubt her method to achieve them.

Chong, in a peasant-girl inspired top and dress, has a garland in her flowing hair and flowers in a vase-like holster. She spreads the philosophy of love for one and love for all. You immediately like Deryn. However, you fear for her outcome against the avarice and visciousness of her counterparts.

The world of “Bhudoo” is ever-expanding. Following its Bethlehem run, Touchstone Theatre, as part of its 35th anniversary season, performs “Bhudoo” in Budapest, Hungary, and Fara Sabina, Italy, at the ensemble theater companies Maladype Theatre and Teatro Potlach, respectively.

“Bhudoo” is a fully-realized work. It is amusing and thought-provoking. Don’t miss “Bhudoo” in one of its Lehigh Valley performances.

Tickets: touchstone.org, 610-867-1689