NATCHEZ — The Beatles’ song “Can’t Buy Me Love” floated through the Natchez Little Theatre Tuesday, but the vocals weren’t British rockers. Instead, they belonged to the 21 children who attended NLT’s winter youth workshop.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the $50 workshop taught children songs, skits, dancing and improvisation, culminating in a performance that night at 7 p.m.

“They’ll hit all aspects of musical theatre,” Director Shemeka Ware said.

While the Little Theatre’s Summer Youth Workshop has been going on for several years, it’s only the second time the theater offered a workshop during winter break.

“The kids enjoyed it so much last year we decided it needed to be every year,” Ware said.

The children’s ages ranged from 8 to 13, but it wasn’t the only thing that varied. While some of the children were NLT veterans, others were first timers.

One of the new actors was Ainsley Dupré, 8. In the past, Dupré had been in a school play, but that was when she lived in New Orleans.

“I really like theater, and I like plays, and I like being onstage,” Dupré said.

Dupré said she likes the effect performances have on the audience. It can also remind people of when they were children, if they sang when they were younger, Dupré said.

“We can make people feel happy,” Dupré said.

Out of the two songs she learned in the morning, Dupré liked “Can’t Buy Me Love” more than “Do Re Mi” from musical “The Sound of Music.”

Jasmine Jackson, 13, also preferred the classic rock song.

“That’s going to be fun to dance to,” Jackson said.

Unlike Dupré, Jackson is an NLT veteran. She came to the workshop looking to learn more, and to get out of the house during her winter break.

She’s also happy to be back onstage, something that she can’t do all the time. Many of the theater’s shows don’t require children, Ware said, so the workshop gives children another chance to perform.

But it’s exciting for first-time performers too. Dupré said she was looking forward to the evening performance.

“I’ve been on stage before, so I know what it feels like, so I’m not going to be nervous,” Dupré said.

Jackson is just happy to be back onstage.

“That’s where I feel like I belong — to perform and entertain people,” Jackson said.