TV REVIEW : REVUE ABOUT BRACES, PARKING SPACES

“Who Parks in Those Spaces?” (7:30 tonight on KTTV Channel 11) is a warm, natural, honest, snappy and funny musical revue, a swell little half hour starring nine persons with disabilities.

Yes, those people.

This is a stereotype-smashing sequel to “Tell Them I’m a Mermaid,” a 1983 special that won some awards, probably for effort, because creatively it wasn’t much to get excited about.

The Taper Media Enterprises production of “Who Parks in Those Spaces?” occupies another space entirely. The performances vary markedly, from the dreamy Victoria Ann-Lewis on down. The material is first-rate, however, from Nancy Becker’s music and lyrics to the script by Ann Gibbs and Joe Kimmel.

No pretenses here, or false sentiment. As Becker, sitting in her wheelchair, laments: “It’s such a drag to have to be inspiring all the time.”

“Who Parks in Those Spaces?” manages to preach without being preachy. The cast discusses the absence of disabilities in TV commercials, for example. Have we ever seen a disabled person brush his or her teeth in a commercial? No. Or “fall in love with a breath mint?” Becker asks. No. “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins,” coos Lewis, “except my brace.”

They also share anecdotes and stories about sex. Wheelchair-bound Italia Dito recalls her “first time” with a man, who she never heard from again. “I’m not sure which part of me was rejected,” she says, “the disability or the woman.” Now that is nice.

So is the entire revue, but definitely not inspiring.