It's not so much a bathos as it is anachronistic. It's the petty loser
foreboding the real tragedy to come. The audience will wonder what kind of
world could have produced this loser. But it's more of a one act play. It
could work as an opener, a lead in. Ya know, have the curtain close behind
the limp lamo, face down in his own vomit. Bob could still open your opera,
I think he'd work with you on that. He comes out as the clean up man,
throws some sawdust on the corpse, and with a stiff pushbroom, slowly sweeps
the pile of Bunyip offstage (limp actor pulled with wires). Bob looks up and
says to the audience, "What, you think this is tragedy? No no! Stick around
friends."

Oh ok, I won't try to force it. But truly, this is no effort at all, as it
was already written for me. I'm enjoying it too much to call it work.
Scout

"Flying Tadpole" wrote
Scout, you're expending too much effort on this one. Look us up a
NY agent and we'll get him to sell another good idea for a
musical. Bobsprit won't co-operate.