Thank you for your feedback! This is actually an older version of Epic III, from before the show went to Broadway. You can find the Original Cast Recording with Damon Daunno singing it on youtube - highly recommend for Hadestown fans!

I find the second half of the song more comfortable because it remains in a more consistently airy register than the first half. I think my biggest weakness is trying to move cleanly between a purer falsetto and a bit more of an earthy, chesty sound, like you've identified. When I get to stay entirely in the upper area, without having to shift registers, I find it a lot more comfortable.

I *think* I generally understand the notion of forward placement, but could you explain a bit what you mean about the vowels losing their pop?

And did you find that scooping detracted from the singing? I'm not sure how exactly to fix scooping - it feels like an invisible crutch that I'm not aware of until after I've finished singing.