Open air theatre, thunderstorms forecast--AIBU to suggest bailing??

[Coffeetree]

Just wondering what the polite thing to do do here.

A while ago, Friend A suggested an open-air theatre performance Saturday night in Pretty Touristy Town about 90 min drive from me. Invited me and Friend B. We all live in different towns, each at least an hour from venue. Friend A is a huge theatre buff, Friend B and I like plays well enough. Tickets booked.

Friend A is now unwell and can't go (Covid). So it's just me and Friend B, unlikely we'll get a taker for spare ticket.

Thunderstorms forecast now. Venue says they rarely cancel due to weather. No covered areas, umbrellas discouraged because they block view. Ponchos encouraged.

I've looked into staying over at Pretty Town but places are pretty expensive at this point.

I don't mind summer rain but I don't like the idea of getting soaked whilst sitting in one place for 2.5 hours, then driving home for 90 min.

I've a sneaking suspicion that Friend B feels the same, but not super sure. I don't want to leave her in the lurch. She and I are friendly but not old friends.

Would it be terribly rude for me to suggest to Friend B that we meet in Pretty Town for dinner and catch-up, and that we can take a view about the weather? That we can agree to not attend play or leave early if it's passing it down? What would you do?

And realising I should have foreseen this possibility when agreeing to go---true, but really agreed to go for the sake of Friend A who is mad about live theatre and gets so excited it's fun to see (even if I secretly think the play was mediocre).

Okay, I'll bump with a more specific question: Should I just straight-up tell her, "I'm not sure I want to go to theatre if it's dumping rain?"

On one hand it's really rude to flake if she's looking forward to it, but on the other hand we might both end up miserable sitting in the rain all night.

Would it be terribly rude for me to suggest to Friend B that we meet in Pretty Town for dinner and catch-up, and that we can take a view about the weather? That we can agree to not attend play or leave early if it's passing it down?

Why would that be rude?

Just be honest! I bet your friend feels the same.

Take a change of clothes in the car?
Plus thunderstorms are a bit hit and miss, it might not affect you
I think your dinner idea is a good one too

I think it would be fine to say ‘have you seen the thunderstorm warning? I’m happy to go if you are but wondered if we’d be better taking a rain check if the weather is terrible and meeting for dinner when friend A is better instead?’

Does it have to be either or now? Why don't you just message and say "Just putting it out there, but if the forecast storms materialise tonight, shall we have dinner in Pretty Town instead as an alternative option?"

This is a bit mad, OP. You only agreed to go to the play in the first place because of Friend A’s enthusiasm for something you’re lukewarm about, and now you’re only contemplating going to something you now actively don’t want to, involving a long drive and a couple of hours of getting soaked, and a long damp drive home again, because B might really want to go, and you’d be letting her down?

In relation to what you asked, perfectly reasonable to suggest meeting for dinner and making a decision just before the curtain based on actual weather, but it sounds as though you’re likely to spend the dinner stressing in case B really wants to go, while you’re praying to be able to cancel, but don’t feel able to say so!

We've agreed to meet for meal and then see how we feel about the weather. I do want to see Friend B! We've agreed that we're not going to stick around if we're getting drenched.