Karen Plankton

Karen Plankton is the secondary antagonist of The SpongeBob Musical. Plankton’s computer wife, Karen is initially very cold to her husband due to how ineffectual his evil schemes come out. However, once his scheme of hypnotizing the citizens of Bikini Bottom into loving chum seems to be working, she begins to warm up to him.

Act I
During his introduction, Plankton monologues in song about how he’s come up with a plan. Karen comes onstage with her mobile form from the animated series and expresses doubt in this plan succeeding. Plankton continues; he’s going to hypnotize everyone in Bikini Bottom and make them love chum. Karen tells Plankton that it would take a long time to complete this scheme. A saddened Plankton reminisces on the times when Karen actually enjoyed his schemes, and Karen replies with “What can I say? After 20 years of marrige the magic’s gone.”

At the town meeting, Plankton sees an opportunity to put his scheme into fruition. Karen is skeptical, of course, but Plankton goes on. He then decides that he needs to convince everyone through song. Karen begins to play a hillbilly style song and then a scat song, but Plankton tells her to play a hip-hop beat. Karen doesn’t believe her husband can rap but puts the music on anyway. She’s pleasantly surprised when Plankton’s plot is successful, and his song has convinced the entire town.

After Mr. Krabs begins his “One More Krabby Patty Before the End” campaign, Plankton revels in the fact that he’ll soon have Mr. Krabs’ level of success once everyone is in the escape pod and hypnotized into loving chum. Karen tells her husband that she loves hearing him gloat, and Plankton tells his wife that he feels closer to her than he has in a long time. Shortly after, there is an avalanche.

After SpongeBob assembles his team, he goes to tell Squidward about his plan to climb Mt. Humongous and neutralize the volcano. Plankton overhears and discusses with Karen, who suggests that they kill the team before they reach the top. Plankton and Karen begin flirting and enjoying the new flame in their marriage. They then run offstage.

Act II
After Sandy reveals the Erupter Interrupter to SpongeBob and the two go on their way to Mt. Humongous, Plankton and Karen enter on an elevated platform. Plankton tells Karen that he has no idea how he’ll stop the duo, but Karen cheerfully tells him that she’s found his Avalanche Maker 300 and that they can create an avalanche that they’ll never survive. She asks Plankton to gloat and they both do it together as they go offstage.

In the Broadway musical, Karen is shown making improvements to the Avalanche Maker 300, when Plankton tells Karen that he’d like her to call him “Big Guy” every now and then. Karen obliges and uses this nickname, exciting Plankton so much that the two share a big kiss.

As SpongeBob and Sandy advance up Mt. Humongous, Plankton and Karen put their plan into action, causing a giant avalanche that almost knocks SpongeBob off the mountain. Plankton and Karen arrive back in Bikini Bottom a few moments after SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy. Plankton begins telling everyone that SpongeBob and Sandy died in the avalanche and to hurry into the pod, but Karen tells Plankton that they survived. The two join SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom is enjoying their possible few moments left.

Once it’s confirmed Bikini Bottom is saved, Karen and Plankton hug in celebration. Plankton attempts to blame Karen for the failure of his plan, and gets into an argument. Plankton reveals his evil scheme loud enough for everyone to hear and is caught. This scene implies the two are back to square one. Plankton and Karen are not punished, as the town needs to focus on repairing the mess they’ve made. When it’s suggested that there be a concert in celebration of Bikini Bottom not being destroyed, Karen agrees and tells everyone she’s proficient with the glockenspiel. She is shown playing this instrument during the concert.

Act I

 * “Bikini Bottom Day”
 * “No Control”
 * “When the Going Gets Tough”
 * “Tomorrow Is”

Act II

 * “”Best Day Ever”
 * “Best Day Ever”
 * “Bikini Bottom Day (reprise III)”
 * “SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Song”

Appearance
Karen wears a metallic-looking dress with purple accents, green tights, and silver platform boots. She has purple hair in a beehive-like hairstyle. In her introductory scene, Karen wears a visor to represent her screen. Before the scene is over, she removes the visors in favor of glasses.

Personality
At the beginning of the show, Karen is very aloof towards her husband, making snide comments at his expense and contributing little more than skepticism in Plankton’s scheme succeeding. After Plankton sings “When the Going Gets Tough”, taking his plan off the ground, Karen begins to be more affectionate towards him and actively helps him with his scheme. Karen flirts with Plankton while he discusses his evil plans and finds one of his old inventions that can help him. In the animated series, Karen’s normally an unwilling aid or enthusiastic supporter of his plans. In the musical, Karen is an active and willing participant in his schemes once she falls back in love with Plankton.

Skills

 * Artificial Intelligence: Karen’s programming allows her to think on her own. She often fills in blanks in Plankton’s scheme and notes flaws his plans have.
 * Audio: Karen is programmed with speech and can also play music, as demonstrated in “When the Going Gets Tough”.
 * Beat Boxing: Exclusively in the Chicago production, Karen showcases the ability to beatbox.
 * Repairing: In the stage production, Karen is seen editing the Avalanche Maker 300 for deadly accuracy.
 * Flexibility: When Plankton asks Karen to play some music in the TV special, Karen sings a scat song and ends with a split.

Mannerisms
Stephanie Hsu portrays Karen as a campy villainess, holding her hands in an upright position and having very exaggerated facial expressions. In stark contrast, Katie Lee Hill moves stiffly and swiftly, accentuating each movement. Her hands are often in a downward and flattened position.

Paraphernalia

 * Avalanche Maker 300: At the beginning of Act II, Karen reveals that she found Plankton’s Avalanche Maker 300 and that the duo can use it to create an avalanche on Mt. Humongous and defeat SpongeBob and Sandy. When it comes time to use it, both Plankton and Karen wield the machine.
 * Elevated Platform: Plankton and Karen are on an elevated platform during the reveal of the Avalanche Maker 300.
 * “Giant Escape Pods R Us” Handbill: Karen is seen reading an oversized magazine for “Giant Escape Pods R Us”. She raises it up to show everyone and then hands it to The Mayor.
 * Glockenspiel: The Glockenspiel (German: “set of bells”) is a percussion instrument made up of keys displayed similarly to a piano. Karen says that she’s very good at playing this instrument, and plays it during the concert at the end of the musical.
 * Mobile Form: The actress portraying Karen often carries around a replica of her mobile variation from the animated series. It often conveys the emotion Karen is feeling at the time, for example, there is a frowning face on its screen during her introductory scene to convey Karen’s dissatisfaction with her relationship with Plankton and there’s a fire on its screen once the flame is back in her marriage. Karen’s mobile form appears every time she’s onstage in Act I but it is not present in Act II.

Trivia

 * Karen does not directly interact with any character in the musical but Plankton.