PROVO – Kim Buhler, a Springville attorney, believes she knows exactly what it was like to be a 5-year-old attending a concert with the Sesame Street Muppets.

Buhler fully admits reverting back to her childhood while attending one of the performances of this week’s annual Mormon Tabernacle Choir “Christmas Concert.” That’s because this year’s event featured the likes of Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Grover, Count Von Count, Rosita, and new member, Abby Gadabby.

Joining them in an encore performance was Broadway star Santino Fontana, best known as Prince Topher in “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” and the voice of Hans in Disney’s blockbuster feature “Frozen.”

During a Friday press conference, the “Sesame Street” friends let their fur down while speaking about being in Utah and having the opportunity of singing with the choir.

“This is a dream come true,” said Elmo. “It’s good to be here. This building has lots of echo, echo, echo.”

“Me and Rosita get robes on and sing in harmony with the choir,” Abby said. “It’s like singing with angels.”

Of course, the favorite question to Cookie Monster was if he could divulge what his favorite cookie is. After scratching his head and thinking about it, he said, “It has to be chocolate chippy, it’s the classic cookie, it’s my favorite.”

For Fontana, it’s almost like coming home. The 32-year-old Broadway heartthrob just performed with the choir during its 24th of July concert. Only Brian Mitchell Stokes in 2008 has been back as quickly as Fontana.

“I didn’t think I’d be back again,” Fontana said. “It’s unprecedented.”

Getting the Sesame Street Muppets and Fontana here for the concerts was no easy task. According to Ron Jarrett, president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, it took years for them to land the Muppets.

“The magic on stage was a culmination of so many people working to spread the word,” Jarrett said.

Through social media platforms, the choir is hoping to have younger people enjoy its offerings. For the first time for a “Christmas Concert,” the seats were squirming with delighted children as young as 5 years old enjoying and even singing along with their “Sesame Street” friends. There was always something to keep their attention on the stage and around the hall.

“It’s a dream come true to have our guest artists,” said Mack Wilberg, music director of the choir. “I have had a dream of bringing the Sesame Street Workshop here for years. The dream came true.”

Wilberg said he was pleasantly surprised at the manners of the hundreds of children that filled the LDS Conference Center. The concerts every year are a special Christmas gift from the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the community. Tickets are free, but must be ordered in advance.

“I grew up watching ‘Sesame Street,’ ” Fontana said. “It’s a great gift to perform with them. Kids don’t dream of hanging out with the Muppets, they want just to watch them. And so do I.”

To make the weekend even more magical, Carol-Lynn Parente, “Sesame Street” senior vice president, pointed out the program was celebrating its 45th year on television. She said it is the professionalism and high bar the organization has set that enables the Muppets to persevere.

“There is no better way to celebrate than to work for an organization that has a higher bar than we do,” Parente said. “I was 6 when ‘Sesame Street’ started. I was an avid viewer.”

Like Parente, Buhler’s life was literally changed by “Sesame Street.” Buhler came from Vietnam shortly after the war. The television was her only friend, as she was severely persecuted as a child for her nationality based on the recent war. She would come home after school and turn on “Sesame Street.”

Buhler learned how to count with The Count. She learned her alphabet and words from Big Bird and Co. They were her closest friends. To have them in Utah and to see them again brought back a flood of memories.

“I teared up through most of the performance,” Buhler said on her Facebook page. “It was wonderful to see my old friends — Ernie, Bert, Big Bird, etc. — who taught me how to speak English. They were my only friends after I came from Vietnam. The choir, orchestra, organist and guest soloist were fantastic as well … thank you for helping me walk down Memory Lane.”

Parente gave a special shoutout to all of the Muppet handlers and crew that make the characters so personable, memorable and zany.

“This doesn’t compare to anything we’ve ever done,” Parente said. “It’s quite spectacular.”

This weekend 80,000 people experienced the Tabernacle Choir’s “Christmas Concert.” Many more will be able to enjoy the magic on PBS and through DVD for many years to come.